Rockets popped into the air over Western Kentucky University on Tuesday as a group of science teachers from across the country tried to unravel a riddle and pass on what they learned to their students.

“This program gives us a lot of hands on opportunities to help us enhance our science curriculum at home,” said South Dakota resident Marie Gillespie, who was one of 10 middle school teachers participating.

Throughout the week, the teachers will learn teaching strategies and exchange ideas through the National Stem Cell Foundation Scholars Program. The new program is exclusively hosted at WKU and is made possible by a $100,000 grant for the program’s first year.

The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science and the Center for Gifted Studies are partnering to organize the program. Julia Roberts, who is the executive director of both groups, said the ultimate goal is to get more kids interested in science.

“It’s a way to generate interest in this content,” she said.

Roberts said research shows students with good middle school science teachers are more likely to take more high school science classes.

In the end, the kids will benefit from better teachers with better ideas. In total, about 100 applicants were screened before a final cohort was chosen. Representing states such as Alaska, South Dakota and Kentucky, each teacher will receive a Chromebook and money to do a research project with their students back home. The group will meet again in January in Washington, D.C., to share their progress before returning to WKU again next June to share lessons learned with the new class.

“We get to share resources and collaborate,” said Melissa Harris, an eighth-grade science teacher at Warren East Middle School. “It makes me excited for next year.”

Harris, who teaches biology, is eager to try out some new ideas when school starts back. Another teacher told her how to get seeds of tomatoes temporarily sent to space, for example. The seeds arrive mixed with seeds of tomatoes grown on Earth for students to observe if there is any difference in how they grow, she said. 

Stacy Clark-Thomas, who teaches at a middle school in Alaska, described the program as the best professional development she’s ever had. Without the program, she wouldn’t have had the chance to met and learn from other teachers across the country. 

“Us just talking is sometimes the best professional development,” she said. 

The teachers spent the day Tuesday assembling paper rockets of different lengths to launch from a hollow tube powered by an air compressor. 

The longer the rocket, the more time it has to speed up in the tube before it’s shot into the air and therefore goes higher. However, more length also means more mass, which can counteract height. The teachers were asked to create rockets of different sizes to find out which length strikes the right balance. 

Rico Tyler, a teacher with SKyTeach at WKU, spent the day instructing the teachers. He said the ideal length is around 35 centimeters. 

“We’re trying to hit at the next generation science standards,” where students aren’t just memorizing facts, he said. “They’re learning how to use those facts to solve problems.” 

— Follow Daily News WKU, county schools and general assignment reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter @aaron_muddbgdn or visit bgdailynews.com.