SCC and SECHS Student Developed Aerospace Library Program and App
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Saunders is a sophomore at the Surry Early College High School who has taken her passion of helping kids to another level. She is also dually enrolled at Surry Community College.
Saunders has created a biweekly program called “Sky and Space Explorers” at the Mount Airy Public Library where children can come to learn about aerospace and aeronautics. When asked about why she wanted to introduce younger ages to these concepts she said, “Our community had a gap for that age group because we don’t have opportunities like that in Surry County.”
Saunders drafted a pitch and presented it to the District and Regional Directors of the Northwestern Regional Library. Her plan got approved, and the program launched on August 3. Every two weeks, children are able to come to “Sky and Space Explorers” and do different crafts and activities that relate to aerospace and aeronautics. They also read a book related to the field. Saunders says she is “teaching aerospace concepts, but at a simpler level.” She is also involved with the Summer Reading Program at the Mount Airy Public Library.
On top of being a student at the Surry Early College High School, being involved in many clubs, and teaching “Sky and Space Explorers,” Saunders created a browser app called “ASTRA.”
This stands for Aerospace Science Technology Resource Assistant. ASTRA is a browser app. This means that users don’t have to physically download an app from an app store. You can access ASTRA from any browser, and it still saves your progress. Saunders created the app to be this way so that it was more accessible for more people. The app works by assigning topics and missions to users based on their age and interests.
This was the first time she created any sort of app. Saunders shared most of the process was, “learning to fix what I broke.” ASTRA is currently being used in some Forsyth County classrooms, including Lewisville Middle School, where she attended.
Saunders plans to graduate in 2029 with an Associate in Arts and an Associate in Science from SCC. She plans to get a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering.
Saunders explained that she is driven to live every day like it is her last. She wants to make sure she gives it her all and helps as many people as she can.
