Welcome To
STARBASE Weatherford
The Stafford Air & Space Museum is the new home for Weatherford STARBASE, bringing this vital Department of Defense STEAM program to an exciting new location. Despite recent funding challenges, we remain committed to providing hands-on learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math to fifth graders across western Oklahoma. Our partnership with the Stafford Air & Space Museum on historic Route 66 offers students access to world-class aerospace exhibits and family passes for Star students. We proudly continue serving schools throughout the region—launching Oklahoma's aerospace future from our new home.
Contact
Local Connections in STEAM
Learning Takes Flight
STARBASE Weatherford students get to explore science and space firsthand with visits to the Stafford Air & Space Museum.
Meet the Staff
Shannan Cloud
Director
I’m Shannan Cloud, and I’m the Director here at STARBASE. I joined STARBASE after teaching fourth grade at Merritt Elementary, as well as teaching in Oklahoma City, Guatemala, and Bolivia. I studied Child Development at Oklahoma State University and hold two master’s degrees—one in Education and one in Theology. I am a former United Methodist minister before stepping into the world of STEAM education. My favorite part of STARBASE is helping students problem solve and think outside of the box. One of my favorite activities is teaching a rap I wrote about endothermic and exothermic reactions, where I get to perform as “Inspector Spunky.”
Outside of STARBASE, I enjoy writing Bible studies, attending church with my family, watching my daughter compete in rodeo, and cheering on my son in college. I’m originally from Weatherford and graduated from Weatherford High School in 1988. I’m also bilingual in Spanish. If I could have any superpower, I’d choose the ability to travel anywhere instantly with the blink of an eye. My advice for future scientists and engineers: Learning is supposed to be challenging—and that’s a good thing! It’s how your brain grows. Embrace the process, enjoy discovering new things, and always remember that you can do hard things.
Heather Rutherford
Deputy Director
Hi! I’m Heather Rutherford, and I’m the Deputy Director here at STARBASE and have been here since January ‘23. I joined STARBASE after teaching for Epic, as well as teaching at Merritt, Elk City, and serving as an adjunct for SWOSU. I studied Natural Science at SWOSU.
My favorite part of STARBASE is watching students who may struggle with traditional classroom work have those lightbulb moments. I love helping students discover that they can do hard things and watching their confidence grow as they succeed.
When I’m not at STARBASE, I love spending time with my family. A fun fact about me is that I enjoy baking all the different flavors of sourdough bread. If I could have any superpower, I’d choose never having to remember a password again—because they would just autofill in my brain! My advice for future scientists and engineers: Dream big
Becki Hubin
Program Instructor
Hi! I’m Becki Hubin, and I’m one of the Program Instructors here at STARBASE. I joined STARBASE in July of 2025 after teaching 20 years at Weatherford Public Schools. My teaching experiences evolved into writing STEAM curriculum, serving as WPS 2nd-6th Grade STEAM Educator and developing STEAM camps.
I received my Elementary Education degree at Kansas State University. My favorite part of STARBASE is being encouraged to "just be me’ and letting my love for teaching pour out of me into our students. I love asking unsolved STEAM questions and encouraging "outside of the box" thinking. When I’m not at STARBASE, I love to craft.
A fun fact about me is that I am an entrepreneur. If I could have any superpower, it would be to "zip zap" around from state to state to see my family and friends any time I wanted. My advice for future scientists and engineers: reach beyond what you think is possible.
Testimonials
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Continuing with our 66 reasons why we love being located on Route 66!
16. We turn road trips into learning journeys
17. Exploration is in our DNA
18. We connect travel with technology
19. Innovation starts with curiosity—and so does Route 66
20. We teach how things move—cars, rockets, ideas
21. Our students think beyond the road
22. We build the future on historic ground
23. STEM and storytelling come together here
24. We inspire the next generation of engineers
25. We show how far transportation has come
26. We connect science to real-world experiences
27. Every lesson has a sense of adventure
28. We encourage students to ask “what’s next?”
29. We bring imagination to life
30. Discovery starts right outside our doors!
Out of this list today, my favorite is Number 25 - it’s so amazing to visit the Stafford Air & Space Museum floor and see the exhibits from early flight discovery of the Wright brothers all the way around to the rocket race, shuttles, International Space Station and the amazing F-117 stealth!
And then we get to go back into our classroom and build rockets, talk about Bernoulli’s principle and how it connects to flight!!
Such an amazing opportunity for our students!
What number is YOUR favorite reason??
Historic Route 66
#heartlandcarcruise
#weatherfordoklahoma
#route66
#STEMEducation
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It’s a fun and super busy weekend in Weatherford, OK!
And our STARBASE STEM Academy loves being hosted at Stafford Air & Space Museum on Historic Route 66!
And we will be sharing 66 Reasons STARBASE Loves Route 66!
1. We’re part of the legacy of Route 66
2. 100 years of stories run right past our doors
3. We connect students to something bigger than themselves
4. History isn’t just taught—it’s experienced here
5. Every mile tells a story—and we’re one of them
6. We stand where generations have traveled before us
7. Learning happens on historic ground
8. Students see the past and imagine the future
9. We bring history to life through STEM
10. We’re part of an iconic American journey
11. Our location sparks curiosity instantly
12. We celebrate where we are, not just what we do
13. Students feel the significance of place
14. We honor the travelers who came before
15. We help preserve the legacy of Route 66
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Last day of camp!🎉
Today, we discussed the International Space Station and all the little details about what goes on there!
We built circuits to turn a light on, blow a fan, make a buzzer go off, etc.!🔌💡
We did Nuclear Reactor to save the planet from the “lunatonium” contamination!☢️
We created our own badges for our trip to outer space!🪐 Who’s in??
Thank you Clinton Summer Playground for sharing your students with us! They were FANTASTIC and BRILLIANT!🌟
Now we are “dog tired!”😴
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