Students across Northwest Kansas enjoyed learning more about the space program and the science involved in launching a rocket and growing food in space when educators from the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson visited their schools.

During Cosmosphere school visits, which were part of the Foundation’s NWKansas Learns initiative, students participated in everything from making ice cream with nitrogen to launching a trash can. About 2,600 students at a dozen schools participated in the reverse field trips, which brought Cosmosphere exhibit items to the schools at no charge to the school.

“My favorite subject was the Air Rockets because it was really fun to build them! I was confused at first, but then I understood,” one student wrote on an evaluation following a presentation.

Another favorite student comment was this:

“If I ever become an astronaut, I will be looking forward to pretty much everything but eating and using the restroom.”