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William S. Cohen students selected for NASA TechRise challenge; school committee presents certificates
Summary
Seven students from William S. Cohen School and teacher Margaret Petra were honored for winning a NASA TechRise Student Challenge award for their 'Yeast to the Stars' high‑altitude project; the team will receive a prize package and a planned summer launch.
The Bangor School Committee on June 10 recognized seven William S. Cohen students and their teacher Margaret Petra for winning a spot in the NASA TechRise Student Challenge.
Principal Miss Burner described the project 'Yeast to the Stars' as one of 25 winning middle‑ and high‑school proposals nationwide for the high‑altitude balloon category. The project will track environmental conditions (location, gases, temperature, UV radiation) to study how yeast responds in near‑space conditions and includes a community‑connected plan to bring samples into a seventh‑grade fermentation lab for comparison.
Margaret Petra told the committee the project timeline began in October with weekly student meetings and intensive work from late January through May. She said winning teams receive a $1,500 prize package for supplies, a starter kit and technical support from Future Engineers, and she described plans for a summer launch and an in‑school activity to compare 'space yeast' with classroom controls. The committee presented certificates of recognition to the students and to Petra.
The district noted the project builds STEM exposure for middle‑school students and provides hands‑on engineering and research experience.
