We welcome you to another year at Froebel!
As we move into the future, the reassessment of our focus and goals, a short while ago, has gained considerable relevance and validation as more and more Puerto Rican professionals and people of Puerto Rican descent become part the United States Space Program (NASA) and the larger aerospace industry. From becoming air traffic controllers to becoming Director of NASA's John H. Glenn Research Center, from becoming aircraft mechanics to Science Manager of Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III on the International Space Station to commercial aircraft pilots, Puerto Ricans are exponentially branching out more than ever to careers in the aerospace sector. Some of them, are alumni.
Our multi-year plan to become the Home of the Space Generation continues to move forward as we add new programs and continue cross pollinating our current, but ever-evolving, curriculum.
Our excitement for the promise of newer greater things, as we shepherd our students in that direction, can hardly be contained. Our multi-year plan to become the Home of the Space Generation continues to move forward as we add new programs and continue cross pollinating our current, but ever-evolving, curriculum. Among the projects we are developing this school year, we have:
· The Civil Air Patrol will be establishing a squadron in our institution, setting up opportunities for students interested in piloting small aircraft. Serving as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force, the CAP's mission is supporting America's communities with emergency response, diverse aviation and ground services, youth development and promotion of air, space and cyber power through aerospace education.
Our local squadron’s operations will kick off with an orientation flight event, for our adult organizers, on August 19, 2022, at the Mercedita Regional airport in Ponce. Forthcoming local recruitment and meetings will be announced soon.
· National Aviation Day which is observed every August 19, to celebrate the history and development of aviation will also be observed in Froebel. The day was chosen because it coincides with the birthday of Orville Wright who, together with his brother Wilbur, made the first powered heavier than air flight.
· Extracurricular clubs, such as 4H and the cinematography club will use and continue using unmanned vehicles, like drones, as tools of the trade.
· In collaboration with NASA, Froebel will participate, next semester, in a 10-week experiment, using simulated regolith (moon dirt) in order to try to produce fruit! Even in space, people still have to eat. Little plants, known as thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), germinated in a recent effort by a team of researcher under the direction of Anna Lisa Paul, a space biologist and geneticist at the University of Florida. We can hardly wait to see what can be accomplished by our students.
In combination with our STEM academic approach, next school year will continue this trend in even bolder ways. But that is a story for another day. You can see, there’s a lot to be exited for and we hope you all enjoy the ride. Our mission now includes: going where we haven’t gone before. It’s indeed dawn at Froebel Bilingual School, Home of the Space Generation.