RAINMAKING: AN ESSENTIAL ART IN MODEL ROCKETRY

Rainmaking seems to be an unlikely activity for anyone involved in model rocketry. While it is true that a good rain storm can make launching a bit difficult (but not wholly impossible) a good rainmaking plan can be an essential element of your projects’ long-term growth and success.

"Why should I have to do this?"

It’s a question we hear quite often. “Why should I have to do any of this when I’ve already invested my time and effort into this project?” In a “perfect world” the authors of this guide would be rich supermodels and rainmaking would be unnecessary because everyone involved in a project would contribute equally and success (defined as “rate of participation” and “program effectiveness”) would be guaranteed. As of the last revision of this guide, your authors were NOT rich super models and the long term success of any program (model rocketry or otherwise) is something that must be carefully planned. Effective rainmaking can provide four concrete benefits: better participation by students and volunteers; greater and more positive response from possible donors; better response from potentially hostile decision makers and - finally - achievement of a “critical mass”.

Educators often blanch when we discuss the issue of rainmaking because - in business - “rainmaking” is often a term used in sales. This couldn’t be farther from our intent. For educators rainmaking is not a quick “12 step” process that - when used - will suddenly have anonymous donors sending you large wads of cash in unmarked envelopes (although if you are aware of a program that can make this happen we would like to hear from you!). Effective rainmakers are simply more pro-active in challenging themselves to look forward and outward to envision creative, sustainable solutions that might be used as a tools for securing their long term goals.

Rainmaking in Action:

Julie Dean has volunteered to start an after school program at her local elementary school. Her students will be coming from the 3rd through 6th grades. After some discussion, Julie has gained permission to proceed from the school principle and is getting ready to proceed. Suddenly she is hit broadside with a flurry of questions from Parents who - in the role of paper tigers - want to be sure this is a safe activity for their children. How can Julie Dean look forward and outward to envision a solution? In two weeks school will be out for Presidents Day. Julie calls her local library and arranges to give a short Presidents Day presentation on model rocketry to be followed by a launch in the local park. She announces this event at her after school program and sends home flyers inviting everyone from school to attend.

Next Julie downloads a couple of handouts from the Quest website. Realizing that she still has a few questions she emails us as Quest Aerospace (edu@questaerospace.com) and - because we are real people who do this type of thing all the time - we email her back with some suggestions and other links she might find helpful.

O.K! That was a bit of work. Now let’s see the result.

Presidents Day is here and Julie Dean arrives at the local library a half hour early. The Children’s Section is already buzzing with lots of kids and parents. The librarians have been putting a copy of Julies’ flyer all over the library and have assembled a cart of books that are related to space travel, rocketry and science. By 10:30 a.m. the Children’s’ Section is nearly full to capacity. Julie gives a short presentation, fields some questions from students and parents and then everyone is off to the park just down the street. When everyone has arrived, Julie explains how a launch system works and reminds everyone that we never catch rockets!

Everyone participates in the countdown and - for the next few minutes - children and parents alike are captivated as Julies’ two rockets (one after the other) make their break for the sky and float lazily back to the ground.

The next morning before breakfast, Julies’ phone rings and she is surprised to hear the voice of a parent from the school, “Congratulations!” he exclaims, “your "little" presentation at the library was in this mornings’ paper along with a picture of your rocket taking off!”.  Julie's effort and skill has really paid off. In addition to the unexpected press (what better way to promote a school?) she has earned a standing invitation to talk at the library again, the school principle has been given a big confidence boost and Julie - much to her chagrin - cannot make it down the hall without someone calling out “hey -rocket lady!”.