When Murray Dancey told his Scout group they were going to send a balloon up to space, at first they didn’t believe him.
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After the assistant group leader of the Warrnambool Tooram Scouts explained how they could execute their own mission to the edges of the earth, they got on board.
“The project is about raising kids’ expectations, their ambitions and their ideas so they can think ‘well if we can put something into space, then what else is possible?’” Mr Dancey said.
The group is aiming to raise $1500 to launch a balloon equipped with a live camera and science experiments to the edge of space.
Mr Dancey said the whole journey would take a few hours and teach the group, which has more than 70 members, about science, technology, mathematics and engineering.
At a particular height, the balloon will burst and parachute back to the ground.
Similar groups around the world have successfully completed similar projects.
Visit chuffed.org/project/scouts-in-space to learn more about the project.
The project was one on display at South West TAFE on Saturday as part of the institute’s Maker Fest, which coincided with its open day.
South West TAFE brand and strategic marketing manager Narelle Allen said more than 2000 visitors were expected to attend the open day.
The day drew the community in with free activities and demonstrations on display, from 3D-printer at work to a fashion show featuring the creative work of hair and beauty students.
“The whole idea of TAFE is that we bring each career or occupation to life,” Ms Allen said. “We create that real space and we integrate with industry.”
Ms Allen said the day provided an opportunity for the community to understand what South West TAFE offered.
“There’s innovation, there’s the arts, there’s auto – there’s everything,” she said.
“It’s also the inaugural Makers Fest, which gives everyone coming along the opportunity to see all these things we’re doing.”