A STEM Program At The 148th Fighter Wing Expands

Starbase Minnesota will be able to serve 1,000 additional students every year in Duluth.

DULUTH, Minn. – The 148th Fighter Wing celebrated the groundbreaking of a new expansion project.

Starbase Minnesota, which is a non–profit youth program that educates students about science, technology, engineering and math, will get new classrooms on the base to help serve more students.

The St. Paul-based organization expanded its reach to Duluth in 2017.

The program has been well received by the Duluth community that it will serve nearly 1,500 students this year.

Nearly 100 people, including Congressman Pete Stauber, visited the 148th to celebrate this expansion.

Starbase youth program provides fifth grade students in Duluth with hands on STEM activities, like creating 3D inventions.

The $2 million project will double the amount of classrooms.

With the extra room Starbase will be able to serve 1,000 additional students every year, especially those in rural communities.

“Students might not have access to this kind of technology equipment and learning that we are able to provide. Exposing them in a very different way to this changes their thinking about what STEM is and the careers that might be available to them, especially careers that exist right here in the Northland,” said Starbase Duluth Chapter Director Charity Johnson.

The Vice Chair of the Advisory Board says when she was first approached to join, the Starbase director shared a story with her.

It helped her make the easy decision to become a part of a program that can inspire so many students.

“A student at the end of the week in our launch ceremony raised her and hand and said I want to work for NASA. The teacher started to tear up. She was asked what’s wrong and she said this girl never talks in class,” said Lori Hoyum.

The program has grown in popularity over the last two year.

This year every fifth grade student in the Duluth Public School District will participate in the program.

Starbase also serves other districts including Esko, Carlton, and the Fond Du Lac Ojibwe school.

The project will be funded by private and public support.

The expansion is expected to be completed by the spring of next year, with the hopes of welcoming the additional students by the fall.