August 2, 2013 — The Virginia Tech Center for Space Science and Engineering (Space@VT) hosted an educational day camp in July for Apple Ridge Farm, a nonprofit organization that promotes academic achievement for youth in the Roanoke Valley.

Students from Apple Ridge Farm visit a Space@VT lab.

About 70 children and educators from Apple Ridge visited the Space@VT facility in Blacksburg for lessons that incorporated basics of science, engineering, and math, with an emphasis on space science and engineering. Undergraduate students from universities across the country led camp instruction as part of the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program.

Lectures introduced planets and planetary atmospheres, and spacecraft and space exploration. Hands-on activities included experiments with tornados, model rocket launches, and construction of simple robots. It was a day of rich interaction between Space@VT faculty, REU students, and the Apple Ridge Farm's students and staff.

Apple Ridge Farm is a 35-year-old nonprofit organization located on an 8.5 acre farm in Copper Hill, Va. Apple Ridge transforms the lives of our community's underserved children and families through engagement in educational, cultural, and outdoor experiences.

Space@VT is an interdisciplinary research center that directs research, scholarship, instruction and educational outreach in the fields of space science and engineering.