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Students have a blast at NASA school event

'I can't say it's a dream because I never thought something like this could happen, so it's so exciting, and I'm a little afraid that I'm dreaming sometimes'

It was an inspiring afternoon yesterday for West Ferris Secondary School students in the Near Space Program as they played host to a video presentation by NASA scientist Dr. Ben Poulter.  

See: West Ferris School to host NASA video-link presentation on climate change

Approximately 125 students attended the hour-long event, including those involved in this year’s stratospheric balloon mission, senior science students, as well as all students enrolled in the enriched STEAM program. 

Dr. Poulter is an environmental researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt Maryland.  He works in the remote sensing of Earth’s CO2 inventory through the use of satellite technology and spectroscopic techniques. His presentation focused on the carbon budget, remaining emissions to stay below 2 degrees, and the role of remote sensing in monitoring the global carbon inventory. 

Grade 11 student Aary Patel came away impressed, telling CKAT News, "I've been looking forward to this because it doesn't happen usually, someone from NASA talking to a group of kids from a school that hasn't really done anything like this before. So that's really exciting for me."

West Ferris teacher Kelly Shulman teaches physics, math, and computer science and met Poulter in October when she was in Maryland to do a presentation about the school's near-space program.

At that time Dr. Poulter suggested that the class use the balloon launches to measure atmospheric carbon dioxide because NASA values that information.

"I can't say it's a dream because I never thought something like this could happen, so it's so exciting, and I'm a little afraid that I'm dreaming sometimes. 

"This all came about because last summer we did a tribute to NASA and the fiftieth anniversary of the moon landing. We took a little picture of an astronaut at 33 km altitude and with the earth's curvature in the background and we sent it to them as a tribute."  

See: Local teacher to speak at NASA's space center

"The kids are actually working with scientists who are doing real work in the world. Dr. Poulter reports to the United Nations. So this is the top of the field in this area and such a very important topic to the generation we are teaching right now and who is going to have to deal with outcomes of climate change,"


Jeff Turl

About the Author: Jeff Turl

Jeff is a veteran of the news biz. He's spent a lengthy career in TV, radio, print and online, covering both news and sports. He enjoys free time riding motorcycles and spoiling grandchildren.
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