Students and staff were given an exciting and unique educational opportunity when Liberty Balloons made a special visit to TST in May.
As part of the “Up and Away with Hot Air Balloons!” program, organized by Brandy Nielsen, students enjoyed a morning of learning all about hot air balloons.
The event consisted of several stations with illustrated presentations and hands-on demonstrations including both an indoor and outdoor inflation experience combined with basket demonstrations and virtual reality balloon flights.
Captain Lee from Liberty Balloons provided an in-depth enrichment presentation discussing the history of ballooning and aviation, the effect of weather, the mechanics of modern ballooning, licensing, and the science of a successful flight. In addition, the heart of the program includes an overarching message encouraging students to work hard and practice self-discipline in order to achieve their goals in school and beyond.
Although the wind did not allow the balloon to be officially launched to an altitude, participants were able to participate in an up-close and personalized demonstration of balloon inflation and saw the burners in action.
This event was made possible in part by a generous sponsorship from RE/MAX (for making this affordable for school districts in New York state), the Liberty Balloon Company, and our amazing staff who assisted in making the morning a success.