ETHETE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) - Students at Wyoming Indian High School in Ethete recently celebrated the completion of their projects for the NASA HUNCH program.
HUNCH stands for ‘High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware’. It’s a nationwide program that looks to involve students in the design process for NASA products.
NASA engineers look to these students to provide a new perspective.
Science teacher Scott Krassin spearheaded the effort to bring the HUNCH program to the school. He says, “When you get teenagers involved, they bring stuff that these guys don’t think of and put it together.”
His students worked on two projects this year. The first being part of the design and prototype program, where senior Eliana Underwood created compact, 3D printed medical tools which could be used in a space-grade first-aid kit.
She says that being part of this project inspired her to pursue engineering at the University of Wyoming this fall.
She explains, “I really like the design process and coming up with ways to get around making my own things.”
The second project involved creating hygiene kits as part of the HUNCH softgoods program. Softgoods use fabric and other soft materials to create goods requested by different NASA centers, as well as the International Space Station astronaut crew.
Students spent months skillfully sewing the kits together. They added their own cultural twist to their prototypes by adorning them with colorful ribbons.
17-year-old Faith Headley says, “We’re one of the first Native American schools to be a part of this program, so we wanted to make it part of us. Our ribbon skirts are the way we like to present ourselves and how we dress formally. For me, I feel way more pretty and confident with my ribbon skirt. With ribbon skirts you can really make it your own, and that’s how we made those our own.”
Krassin says this project can open the door to even more opportunities for his students.
He explains, “We have a couple students who have paid internships, and we’re hoping to get more of that going too, paid internships with our sewers. There’s not many kids who know how to work with these machines.”
Wyoming Indian High School Principal Pamela Gambler has seen how the NASA HUNCH program has helped her students grow their confidence.
She says, “I’m just very proud of what they’re doing, the skills they are building, and showing the younger kids that this is possible. It’s possible to reach your dreams. It’s possible to grow. It’s also possible to get out of your comfort zone, and work with the world around them, and also showcase their culture and their traditions”
