8AAT STEM Cubesat & Robotics High-School Camps
Donation protected
Your donation supports 4 ongoing STEM projects.
What is 8AAT?
Leadership: STEM academic and private industry experience plus support from the amateur radio community.
STEM Goal: Educate and empower students as future innovators. We will encourage business savvy, leadership and entrepreneurship among our staff and student participants while sharing our expertise with youth in the community.
Financial Goal: 8AAT will take your investment, strive for financial self-sufficiency and reinvest in student endeavours.
Rationale: Ottawa Valley has highest incidence of poverty in Ontario. Similarly, smaller cities and towns in Canada are extremely under-represented in provincial, national & international STEM activities and competitions (e.g. robotics, aerospace, green energy). These regions offer little or no STEM camps to encourage science & engineering career opportunities for youth. Urban STEM activities are unaffordable to most Canadiians. Parents and students need a consistent, reliable and affordable STEM training solutions & relevant projects. We will provide the solution and expand it nationwide.
Supporters: Dr. Mark Lehsrud (McGill University), Michael Bretti (AIS Plasma Propulsion), Dr. Peter Jansen (University of Arizona), Dr. Denys Bondar (Tulane University), Malcolm Harper (Champlain College), Roger Ray G8CUB (UK Microwaves Group), Roger Belanger (Aerospace Engineer), five major Amateur Radio Clubs in the Ottawa Valley: WIARC (West Montreal), SVARC (Cornwall), IARC (Iroquois/Gananoque), KARG (Kemptville/Winchester/Merrickville), PRARC (Prescott-Russell).
1) STEM Summer & March Break Camps:
Description: Due to demand, we will explore a March Break (1 week) and Summer Break (9 week) STEM summer camp for youths 12 to 18 years old. The camps will contain a condensed version of our STEM High School Program. We have visits STEM professionals and we have immersive STEM collaborative virtual & real world experiences simulating adventures requiring team-work and STEM solutions. We build robots, car, cubesat satellites, drones, rockets, study our environment, program with code and explore science in a fun filled environment. Our student cubesats also include a secondary payload of atmospheric aerosol sensors to participate in Canadian Space Agency / Environment Canada's atmospheric reseach project.
How it works: Youths work individually and in teams to solve problems, share ideas and explore their potential, for future career paths.
We provide: The classroom, materials & activities.
How students benefit: They will leave the camp with: a) 1 week to 2 months of genuine aerospace, science and engineering experience; b) improve their chances for employment and university selection or program placement; c) their ISED Basic amateur radio licence if they choose to pursue it; d) develop the leadership skills and confidence necessary to start a STEM club at their school to encourage their colleagues to participate in STEM activities; e) build friendships and memories (and overcome the isolation imposed by 2 years of intermittent COVID restrictions).
In-Person: We have three tenative locations for March / Summer Break planned. We have 5 spots per 30 students allocated to low-income families at a reduced price.
Remote: We will offer a remote course for rural students at a reduced rate.
2) 8AAT STEM Cubesat High School Project:
Description: 8AAT is targeting rural / semi-rural regions in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec for a STEM Cubesat High School Program to promote teamwork and innovation to youth under 18 years old. In our first year of operation (Sept 2023), we have 3 participating institutions: 1) Arnprior District High School (Arnprior, ON); 2) St Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School (Russell, ON) and; 3) 1st Cavagnal Scouts (Hudson, QC). More have expressed interest.
How it works: 8AAT supplies the materials, training & launch for FREE. Over a 6 to 8 month period, 8AAT instructors train high school students to design, build, test and deploy their own 1U Cubesat (10cm x 10cm x 10cm) on a high-altitude balloon, simulating a real cubesat launch, document the process and analyze the results as a real experiment. The cubesat materials are reusable for the following year.
What we provide: 8AAT supplies all the hardware for free (except the student customized "payload" items). The students select and design their own cubesat primary "payload" scientific experiments making each cubesat satellite unique. The cubesats also include a secondary payload of atmospheric aerosol sensors to participate in Canadian Space Agency / Environment Canada's atmospheric reseach project.
Additional benefits: The students also receive free amateur radio training, hands-on experience with electronics, and prepare to write the ISED basic exam in the Spring. They will also participate in Spring amateur radio contests. 8AAT also provides mentorship from experienced amateur radio operators in their local community to encourage continued involvement after completing the STEM Cubesat High School Program.
How students benefit: They will graduate high school with: a) 6 to 8 months of genuine aerospace/engineering experience; b) a published research paper; c) improve their chances for employment and university selection or program placement; d) their ISED Basic amateur radio licence.
3) 8AAT-SAT Cubesat Satellite (Real Aerospace Experience):
Description: We are designing 3U (30cm x 10cm x 10cm) Cubesat satellite projects (2024-2028) named 8AAT-SAT to be deployed into Space.
Overall goal: Keep the electronics as radiation hardened as simple as possible, provide proof-of-concept for new technologies and successfully collect data. Our cubesats will have scientific instrumentation sensor systems, a propulsion system and experiment with communication systems.
Purpose: 8AAT-SAT is an ongoing project for participants to innovate and participate in next-generation technology - and to bring new skills, researchers, equipment and expertise to 8AAT STEM participants and their future career success is our ROI (return on investment). The project is open to High-School, College and University students as well as recent graduates and industry professionals.
Participation: Apply on our website (www.8aat.space).
What we provide: 8AAT supplies all the hardware, software and training necessary. Funding is self-generated and the remainder comes from external sources (e.g. Canadian Space Agency, Gofundme.com, local charities, etc). Equipment is donated to 8AAT from amateur radio operators and the general public.
How students benefit: They will complete their involvement with the cubesat project with: a) 1 to 4 years of genuine hands-on real-world STEM aerospace, science and engineering experience - not an academic simulation; b) contribution to a least one published research paper; c) improve their chances for employment and university selection or program placement; d) entrepreneurship and leadership skills, incentives to start their own business and contribute to the Canadian Space Industry; e) their ISED Basic and/or Advanced amateur radio licence (if they choose to write the ISED Basic amateur radio exam).
4) STEM Amateur Radio Licence Training:
We provide FREE amateur radio licence training and FREE online proctored examination for youths age 12 to 18 interested in taking the ISED Basic Amateur Radio Licence exam. We also provide additional activities to promote amateur radio such as participation in contests, DX listening, fox-hunting (hiding a transmitter and letting the students find it), orienteering with maps & compass, emergency preparedness (ARES/AUXCOMM) and collaborations with supporting clubs. Once you obtain your ISED Basic Licence, it is valid for life without renewal. In Spring 2023, 1/3 of CA2RC (Carleton University) students with Leo (8AAT) as Instructor, wrote their ISED Basic exam and passed!
Organizer
Leo Y
Organizer
North Glengarry, ON