Starbase Project NOVA

A roving classroom geared to help Lakota students improve their technology skills was showcased for the third consecutive year at Crazy Horse Memorial in the fall of 2008.

The classroom is called Starbase Project NOVA. The South Dakota Air & Army National Guard sponsors Project NOVA and it is part of the Department of Defense (DoD) Starbase initiative to help minority and rural students. NOVA is short for “New Opportunities,Visions and Attitudes.”

DoD Starbase focuses on elementary students, primarily fifth graders, to interest as many students as possible. The goal is to motivate them to explore science, technology, engineering and math as they continue their education. The program encourages them to set goals and achieve dreams using the motto that “dreams + action=Reality”®.

During NOVA’s stay at Crazy Horse, there were free public tours, as well as special classes for Custer area students, and several surrounding schools. NOVA’s computer gadgets include simulators that mimic military aircraft controls. Students also learn about the construction and operation of an airplane, perform scientific experiments and launch a rocket they built.

Project NOVA is a fun learning experience for the students and is another angle of the educational mission at Crazy Horse. We look forward to having Project NOVA back in 2009.