Overlook Horizon Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization. Your donation is 100% tax deductible in the US.
About STEM Education
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics—STEM, and therefore, STEM education—are vital to our future—the future of our country, the future of our region and the future of our children. Besides, STEM is everywhere; it shapes our everyday experiences.
Have you considered how often we experience STEM in our lives? Science is our natural world— sun, moon and stars…lands and oceans…weather, natural disasters, the diversity of nature, animals (large, small, microbial)…plants and food…the fuel that heats our homes and powers transportation…The list is almost endless. In today’s world, technology means computers and smartphones, but it goes back to television, radio, microscopes, telegraph, telescopes, the compass, and even the first wheel. Yes, engineering designs buildings, roads, and bridges, but it also tackles today’s challenges of transportation, global warming and environment-friendly machines, appliances and systems. We only have to look around to see what improvements to our lives and our homes have been engineered in the last decade alone. We encounter mathematics at the grocery store, the bank, on tax forms, in dealing with investments and the family budget. Every other STEM field depends on mathematics. STEM is important, because it pervades every aspect of our lives.
Our Mission
Our mission is to inspire students into fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics by introducing students to fun and exciting projects that get them interested and involved in real world engineering and problem solving outside of the classroom. Primarily, we utilize weather balloon flights to the edge of space which encompasses nearly all areas of STEM education and has the benefit of providing jaw-dropping photos and videos and allow students to feel like they've just taken part in their very own space program in their own backyard! Weather balloon flights involve earth science, meteorology, radio theory, computer science, mathematics, predictions, problem solving, mission planning, contingency planning, physics and so much more. Students can even incorporate biology and chemistry too!
How are funds used?
Overlook Horizon Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization. Your donation is 100% tax deductible and is spent towards our goal of inspiring students. Here are some of the programs we implement:
- We plan and facilitate weather balloon missions/flights in the Rochester, NY area
- Flights are live broadcast online to involve students and educators all across the United States to help them learn about the process and engage with our launch team
- YouTube videos are published to explain mission details, technology and scientific objectives to students and educators.
- YouTube videos are published on a variety of topics like micro-controller (Arduino/Raspberry Pi) tutorials, National Weather Service procedures, NASA/ESA/SpaceX Missions, etc. to further education in related areas
- How-To tutorials are published and maintained for students and educators to instruct them how to safely plan and facilitate their own high altitude weather balloon missions.
- Mission support is provided to students and educators during the planning stages of their own weather balloon flights by helping them organize their launch procedures, setup and implement a reliable computer/radio tracking system and plan for a safe recovery operation.
- Co-op missions are performed with students and schools looking to hyper focus on certain areas of the flight sciences while leaving other areas to us.
- Educational hands-on sessions are held with area schools and at public Maker Faires/Fests to showcase and reach more students