St. Francis Indian School’s NASA TechRise Student Challenge: High-Altitude Balloon Launch

By: Yanis, 8th Grade Student

Students from St. Francis Indian School participated in the 2024-25 NASA TechRise Student Challenge. Sixty student groups launched payloads. On June 16, 2025, at 6:00 a.m. MST/PDT, a high-altitude balloon launched from Page, Arizona, carrying innovative student-led research projects from schools nationwide, including the St. Francis Gifted and Talented Education-STEM project, “Quantifying the Carbon Footprint and Emissions of Vape Devices using Sensors into Near Space.” The balloon reached approximately 75,000 feet, where the project collected valuable data on the stratosphere and its link to our planet over several hours. Student participants had exclusive access to a live stream via email, allowing them to track the mission’s progress in real time.

This exceptional experience offered hands-on learning and sparked curiosity and innovation among the students. The NASA TechRise Student Challenge demonstrated the transformative power of STEM education and collaboration among the 16 talented students from St. Francis Indian School. The team anticipates the impactful discoveries and innovations from this research.

“The success of our students in the NASA TechRise Student Challenge underscores the transformative power of STEM education,” Superintendent Dani Walking Eagle said. “I’m dedicated to cultivating innovation that respects and honors our students' cultural heritage through Culturally Responsive Schooling.”

Building on this success, St. Francis Indian School will prepare for the NASA TechRise Student Challenge 2025-26, planning to submit even more innovative projects. To do this, the school will focus on providing hands-on learning experiences to a larger group of students, fostering their STEM skills and creativity. The school’s GATE program is enthusiastic about this effort's potential to inspire future generations of scientists, engineers, and innovators.

“Through ongoing investment in staff development and training, we strive to nurture academic excellence while embracing diverse perspectives,” Walking Eagle said. “I’m eager to witness our students create pioneering projects that harmoniously blend scientific exploration and cultural significance, fueled by the passion of our educators and the boundless potential of our students.”

St. Francis Indian School’s exceptional students were guided and supported by Maria Heidi Alaine V. Tahir, Ph.D., GATE Director and Team Lead, and Genesis Barbon, High School Physical Science Teacher and 2nd Team Lead.