On a recent January morning, a class of fifth graders from Desert Heights Elementary School personally encountered all sorts of large, bright red Fire Trucks at a fire station on a base near Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

Emilia Naranjo was one of those students. When asked what she thought of her visit to the fire department on her way back to the program’s special classes, she said, “It was awesome. I love the color red and the fire trucks were really big so it was really interesting to see them.”

By the end of the program, Naranjo and her classmates will be introduced to firefighters, pilots, and emergency management professionals. Each class of fifth graders comes to the base one day a week for five weeks of the program.

Tiffany Young is the director of the STARBASE program, and she said these opportunities are just part of the entire learning experience for students.

“They have hands-on experiments, they can learn about STEM careers, and they have the opportunity to take a field trip tour,” Yang said.

Back at the fire station, the students were able to question the firefighters about their work and even walked around the cabs of two different fire trucks.

Field trips, such as a trip to the firehouse, allow students to explore new career opportunities, especially for low-income students from schools like Desert Heights, where 100 percent of students are eligible for free and reduced lunch.

During their stay at the base, students can also do hands-on experiments that range from learning about computer-aided design to programming small LEGO robots. Program leaders say the five-week program allows the class to develop a variety of science and math skills. In addition, STEM education early in a student’s career can accelerate skill development in other areas such as reading and problem solving.

Despite the fact that the first class of fifth-graders visited the base back in August, the official opening ceremony of the program and its new building took place on January 20.

Glenn Duncan Elementary School students were the first to complete the program, and their principal, Ryan Smith, attended the opening ceremony to celebrate. He said that his students enjoyed their experience.

“They would be so excited because all the training was hands-on. They had to participate in experiments, to cooperate with each other. They had the opportunity to communicate with their teachers,” he shared.

Smith said Glenn Duncan students rarely leave their neighborhoods, and their classes at the base were the first field trips they have taken since the pandemic began. So far, 15 schools in the Washoe County School District have sent students to the program.

This program is one of 66 nationwide, and while the Department of Defense controls the STARBASE programs, they are hosted at various local military installations.

Maj. Gen. Ondra Berry, Adjutant General of the Nevada National Guard, said teaching students valuable STEM skills not only helps their academic success, but also strengthens America’s national security by creating a skilled and diverse workforce.

“If you can do science, technology, engineering and math, that catapults you; it speeds you up; it gives you a better understanding of the world and the workforce we need today,” Berry said. “And even in the military, when you have those opportunities, it helps you integrate and helps us win our country’s wars.”

Berry and Young said they plan to expand the program to middle and high school students to continue to spur growth and interest in STEM.

José Davila IV is a member of Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth project.

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