We introduced the American Rocketry Challenge to McCracken County High Schoolers in 2024 due to the request for an aerospace engineering-related club. In 2024, we had a total of 20 students from homeschool, public school, and private schools join us in this adventure. They broke up into four teams, and one team qualified to go to the National Finals in The Plains, Virginia. We continued the adventure this year (2025) with a trial run of a middle school team.

We had a total of 15 students from homeschool and public schools from McCracken County and Livingston County participate in our club. They were instructed by Alex Senig and John Maddox, P.HD (Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering; Director of Undergraduate Studies - ME, Paducah Campus). The design and planning meetings were held at Crounse Hall on the University of Kentucky -Paducah Campus.

This year’s American Rocketry Challenge featured more than 5,000 middle and high school students from 1,001 teams and 46 states. To qualify for the National Finals, participating teams design, build, and launch model rockets that could safely carry a payload of two eggs oriented sideways with a flight duration of 41-44 seconds and an altitude of 790 feet.

Sponsored by AIA, the National Association of Rocketry, and more than 20 industry partners, the American Rocketry Challenge is the world’s largest student rocketry competition and the aerospace and defense industry’s flagship program designed to encourage students to pursue study and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The competition has inspired nearly 95,000 middle and high school students to explore education and careers in STEM fields. The American Rocketry Challenge fosters friendly competition among teams from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and geographies.

“For over two decades, the American Rocketry Challenge has ignited a passion for STEM in students, and this year, we’ve reached new heights, with a record-breaking 1,001 teams competing in this year’s event,” said Eric Fanning, AIA President and CEO. “This incredible milestone highlights the unwavering dedication, teamwork, and innovative spirit of young rocketeers nationwide. It also demonstrates how this competition serves as a powerful catalyst to bring young students into the STEM career pipeline. We can’t wait to see which teams make it to our top 100 and have the chance to compete for the title of National Champion in May.”

Outcomes:

Both Seniors have been accepted into the Engineering Department at the Paducah Campus at the University of Kentucky and will return as helpers for next year's teams. Five of the students are also attending aerospace-related events. Six of the homeschoolers have started a reading series on engineering topics and increased their math studies. Club members have learned about engineering careers. They also learned how everything is related to science and mathematics.