The mission of NASA’s HUNCH Program (High school students United with NASA to Create Hardware) is to empower and inspire students through a Project-Based Learning program where high school students learn 21st-century skills and have the opportunity to launch their careers through participation in the design and fabrication of real-world valued products for NASA. Projects are available in six HUNCH focus areas — design and prototyping, software, hardware, sewn flight articles, video and media, and culinary arts.
To participate in the program schools must meet a set of minimum qualifications and it is recommended that the school faculties include teachers with experience in the focus area. Once qualified, the school and NASA enter into a Space Act Agreement and NASA provides expertise and guidance to further engage students with the design and fabrication of the products.
Whitney Young, HUNCH Space Act Agreements manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center explained, “The astronauts will put in requests for things that they need on the space station, and essentially it is a wish list that gets cast out to school systems.”
