Connected Learning Summit 2018

It often takes more than the right tech to activate authentic youth engagement with science exploration. Through “The Aquarius Project,” brand new makers found the inspiration to engage in hands on science by joining a story bigger than themselves.

Months ago, a sonic boom shook the residents of the Midwest. A meteor traveling at 38,000 miles an hour entered our atmosphere and exploded with a force equal to 10 tons of dynamite. Weather radar spotted the end of its journey as it splashed down into Lake Michigan. There is little known about the lake bottom in this region. It is this combination of knowns and unknowns that has inspired high school students and science professionals from across Chicago to mount, “The Aquarius Project.” This multidisciplinary endeavor is the first student driven attempt at underwater meteorite retrieval.