Colorado students present biomedical designs to NASA through HUNCH program
Front Range students are getting an out-of-this-world experience presenting products they designed for NASA.
These young innovators are part of the NASA HUNCH program. HUNCH stands for High Schools United with NASA Creating Hardware. More than 500 students are participating, many along the Front Range, who get to help design and build real world products for NASA.
Nine teams, eight from Jefferson County and one from the St. Vrain School District, are in Texas presenting their biomedical designs. The projects students are working on are designed to solve significant medical challenges for astronauts.
Niwot High School Junior Katelin Vonfeldt and Erie High School senior Kayla Evans shared their excitement with CBS Colorado about developing an immersive VR system to improve mental health in space. The project let them combine their passions and interests to help astronauts who may be struggling due to isolation.
"It's just a really great opportunity to get your foot in the door and make those connections because what we've learned is connections are everything. So, it's really just inspired me" said Evans. She said meeting experts in plant science and environmental science has been exciting and makes her want to pursue her passions further.
A team of seniors from Warren Tech including Yzabella Santos, Markie Bolby, Jacey Murphy and Abby Stelman presented ideas on how to administer IV fluids in microgravity, specifically how to get rid of the bubbles. They said the program has been a great way to gain experience.
Stelman said, "I think it's a really great opportunity. Hands-on learning is really important, and I think it's a great intro to science and engineering.
"I feel like you learn so much more doing HUNCH than you would in a science class. It's so hands-on and immersive, and you can step in the door," added Bolby. "People will just come up to you at these things and they're offering you letters of recommendation. It's a great opportunity for future jobs."
Santos said one of the great things about the program is they have a chance to learn about the diversity in engineering and all of the different kinds of opportunities available to students.
