Article by Jen Cushman Contact Jen Cushman jennifer.cushman@uconn.edu 4-h.uconn.edu for them to demonstrate and strengthen their teamwork and cooperation skills in preparation for their future education and careers. Final decisions were made after months of waiting. All three Granby 4-H proposals were selected as part of the 80 experi- ments chosen from the 450 total proposals submitted by youth from the U.S. and international locations. The three experiments from the Granby 4-H Club included “Bees in Space” where honeycombs were launched, “Rubber Bands in Space,” and “Gallium in Space,” all of which were proposed by the 4-Hers themselves. Bees in Space The “Bees in Space” experiment studied if honeycomb changes shape during flight. Club members took pieces of honeycomb from the club bee hive to design the exper- iment. The research question was: Will the honeycomb change its shape during a flight to space? When colonizing a planet, a constant food source is necessary. Bees are necessary for pollinating plants which creates food and oxygen. When bees were first sent to space in 2009, the bee eggs did not hatch and the bees died. The bees likely used all their energy on the hive. To help the bees preserve their energy, the team sent up a honeycomb to eliminate the need to build one. This experiment looks at if the honey- comb shape is strong enough to withstand a flight on a rocket. Rubber Bands in Space The “Rubber Bands in Space” group evaluated how rubber bands are affected by a microgravity environment by creat- ing a rubber band ball. Rubber bands are used by astronauts as part of their exercise equipment. This team hypothesized that if the rubber band ball is exposed to a micro- gravity environment, then the rubber bands will change and no longer be as effective or work at all. They believed the temperature on the rocket space flight would melt the elastics together slightly, cool back down, and cause them to dry. The team thought the rubber band ball may not bounce as high as it did before, and it may bounce at dif- ferent angles instead of just straight up and down, especially if it melts. Gallium in Space Gallium is a post transition metal. What is so unique about this metal is that it has a melting point of 29.77 degrees Celsius (85.586 F). Gallium doesn’t occur as pure Gallium in nature, but as a compound with other metals. These compounds are often used as semi and superconductors. On its own, gallium is a semiconductor. Gallium’s most similar alloys are used in LEDs and diode lasers. Gallium is a soft metal and might change shape due to motions during space flight. If gallium doesn’t change shape, it may be one of the best conductors of electricity used in space. The team hypoth- esized that gallium would change shape during space flight, due to heat when exit- ing the atmosphere. All participants of the 80 selected experiments were invited for the launch at NASA Wallops Center in Virginia where they presented their experiments to an audience of 300 people that included NASA and Cubes in SpaceTM officials, other participants, teachers, sponsors, and family members. Members gained valuable experiences through participating in the Cubes in SpaceTM project. 4-Hers learned the importance of working together, how 4-H and STEM fit together, and learned the process of doing research. The experience provided the Granby 4-H members with the opportunity to practice problem solv- ing skills, answer their own questions, embrace their curiosity, and gain valuable experience in the world of STEM. Granby 4-H members participate in a robotics competition in March 2019. 2018 HIGHLIGHTS OF EXTENSION 11 HE