Shreveport students prepare for Science Olympiad

Skylar Ryan and Sophia Silvia, identify rocks and minerals at St. John Berchmans Catholic School in Shreveport, La., Aug. 17, 2011. The students learned how to identify rocks and minerals by using glass, magnets, iron nails, magnification devices and a streak plate. Skylar and Sophia are students at St. John Berchmans Catholic School and participated in the STARBASE Louisiana program at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., when they were 5th Graders. The STARBASE program, which is supported by the 307th Bomb Wing, presents an exciting 25-hour hands on/minds on aviation and aerospace curriculum to area 5th grade students and their teachers. The DoD program is committed to addressing the critical needs in STEM education - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. STARBASE Louisiana introduces its students to exciting STEM education topics, inspiring these young minds to further explore these topics in future course work. (Courtesy photo by Jeff Walston)