How do you get students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics? Sierra Sands Unified School District in Ridgecrest, California, does it in partnership with the Navy.

For example, at Burroughs High School, an annual rocket launch event sees the disappointment of a failed experiment quickly replaced by the thrill of understanding as students learn that setbacks can fuel innovation – especially with a little help from real rocket scientists.

The yearly launch, which is the culmination of two weeks of instruction, is one example of how the technical community at Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division and SSUSD partner to instill and grow STEM pipelines in local communities.

The rocket launch is not new, nor is the partnership with the engineers who support it.

Burroughs High School Principal Carrie Cope and her father, Craig Porter, began the rocketry course in 1999. At that time, Cope was teaching physics, and Porter, a civilian engineer with the Navy, wanted to expose students to the scientific method while giving them hands-on experience with the same rocketry process used by experts.

Together, they designed a two-week Introduction to Rocket Propulsion course and made it as part of the students' final grade, with rocket launch day as the finale.

Amid the excitement of this year’s event, students gasped as one team's rocket broke apart after its first launch.

The students didn't let this mishap stifle their motivation to finish their launches.

With more launches in the queue, the team quickly grabbed some blue painter’s tape and, after a few improvised modifications, launched it a second time. This time, it flew farther than before.

NAWCWD employees David Hall and Roben Van Dusen have supported the rocket launch for several years.

Hall, chief engineer for the Ordnance Test and Evaluation Division at NAWCWD, witnessed the rocket mishap and was impressed and excited by the team's innovative solution and the enhanced rocket performance.

"That was my favorite moment of the day," Hall said. "That rocket completely broke apart. They taped it back together, and it launched beautifully!"

Damien Jacotin has been the physics instructor at Burroughs High School since 2016 and continues to invite former graduates and NAWCWD employees to mentor the students and prepare them for the launch - a model used in most Educational Partnership Agreements.

"What are these kids going to remember in 10 years?" Jacotin asked. "A pen-and-paper final, or how they worked together to launch rockets?"

Graduating senior Gabriel Honeywell said the principles learned through the program were beneficial for anyone pursuing higher-level math.

"It's awesome!" Honeywell said regarding the rocketry program. "They all do a great job of getting kids interested in rocketry early on."

"These students are learning actual rocketry," Cope said. "This gives them a taste, on a small scale, of what they would see on base."

Having access to this technology locally creates major opportunities.

In fact, Van Dusen first participated as a Burroughs High School student in Jocatin’s class and is now an electrical engineer with NAWCWD working at the China Lake Propulsion Laboratory.

Examples like Van Dusen’s path show that early classroom exposure to mentors working in technical STEM fields can be successful.

For more than 20 years, the NAWCWD and SSUSD partnership has launched more than model rockets.

These events and in-class training sessions help prepare the next generation of STEM professionals. They make the fields relatable to students who might otherwise overlook STEM careers and underscores the importance of local recruitment.

While NAWCWD and SSUSD have a robust EPA in place, the district isn’t the only system benefiting from the command’s focus on educational partnerships.

NAWCWD is collaborating with Moorpark College to develop an electronic technician program, and with Cerro Coso Community College on an artificial intelligence program.

One of the newer EPAs is with ACE Charter High School in Camarillo, where NAWCWD employees have mentored its robotics team, The Flying Aces, for several competition seasons.

Angel Zamarron, NAWCWD’s STEM Outreach Program Manager, has supported STEM initiatives at NAWCWD since 2018.

The Navy recognizes that STEM can be challenging but believes they are worth teaching.

"We use our partnerships to expand our technical capabilities and inspire the next generation of STEM professionals," Zamarron said.

Zamarron also expressed excitement about the Navy’s collaboration with SSUSD and the district’s new STEM magnet school.

"These Navy partnerships help facilitate connections to the local community and support a pipeline of future innovators and problem solvers," Zamarron said.

The Navy's Get Real Get Better initiative encourages leaders to adapt to evolving processes and challenges and inspires employees and service members to think and act differently.

Fueled by curiosity and unafraid of failure, the students embody the spirit of GRGB, and maybe even teach their mentors along the way.

Failure is not a setback. It’s an opportunity to build trust, identify root causes, and learn that innovation strengthens with resilience and excitement - and maybe a little tape.