Reach for the Stars ~ National Rocket Competition

Jack & Kathy Colpas are retired public school educators with over fifty years combined experience. Kathy’s background is at the elementary level. Jack was a middle school science teacher. Jack worked the summer program at G WIZ – Museum in Sarasota, Florida for nearly a decade. It is here that the kids gave him “The Rocketman” nickname. Hence their website is www.TheRocketman.net.

Together they direct the Reach for the Stars ~ National Rocket Competition. The goal of the competition is to give every kid the unique experience of building and launching a solid-fuel powered model rocket. To foster the program they have presented model rocketry workshops for teachers and youth group leaders since 1996.

Getting the cover article in The Florida Science Teacher magazine (the Florida Association of Science Teachers journal) has helped greatly in spreading news about the RFTS Competition. You can see the article on-line at: http://sciconservices.com/page0016.html. The Colpas’ also produced a Pause-for-Science© video that makes sharing rocketry with kids easy, even for someone who has never launched a rocket.

To interest young minds in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) subjects – you have to get their attention. The only thing that gets more attention than a rocket launch – is a rocket competition. Focusing on winning a rocket competition means focusing on the science of flight – aeronautics.

«  Our goal is to give kids the educational experience of building and launching a solid-fuel powered rocket.

«  Our purpose is to foster an interest in model rocketry, STEM subjects and aeronautics.

«  Our mission is to keep alive the memory of the first Teacher-in-Space, Christa McAuliffe.