CEP Students Participate in HUNCH Program
Seven students from USRA’s Career Exploration Program (CEP) were selected to spend their summer participating in the “High school students United with NASA to Create Hardware” program, known as HUNCH. The HUNCH program, piloted in 2003, matches a valid need in America’s space program with a genuine educational experience for junior high and high school students from across the country.
This year’s CEP HUNCH students represented 3 Houston area high schools, 1 Montana high school, and Texas A&M University. Selected by their teachers and USRA, students constructed hardware used to train astronauts for missions to the International Space Station. Their projects included replicas of station rack power smoke indicator units, internal vehicular activity handrails, and four treadmill vibration isolation system rope assemble units.
The HUNCH program is a win-win for students and NASA, serving as a valuable outlet for sharing NASA’s mission and encouraging students to pursue education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In addition, HUNCH students bring a wealth of ingenuity and fresh designs that directly benefit NASA, as well as inspiration for being on the NASA team.
The success of CEP students in the HUNCH program adds to the program’s growth and enables NASA to tap into additional manpower and resources, while continuing to provide students with opportunities to contribute to the success of America’s space program.