1989: Barbara Koscak met with Brigadier General David Arendts for the first time to discuss a hands-on math and science program.

STARBASE History

1990: Barbara Koscak won the A. Scott Crossfield Award and used that to money to pay for a summer camp at Selfridge Air National Guard Base called “Project Stars” (later changed to STARBASE) while writing an additional grant for WK Kellogg. This camp proved to Kellogg that kids needed more hands-on math and science.

1991: WK Kellogg Grant awarded to Mt. Clemens Schools and Selfridge Air National Guard Base to start the full time STARBASE program.

1993: DoD funds were made available for the National Guard to start a school-year program and DoD STARBASE was formally launched. Kansas was one of 7 original states to receive funding for the STARBASE program. Kansas STARBASE was launched to ignite the interest of youth (4th – 6th graders) in science, technology, engineering, math, goal setting and positive life choices by exposing them to the technological environments and positive role models of the Kansas Air and Army National Guard.