Focus on Education
Contact
Jack Frost AMA Education Coordinator Tel.: (765) 287-1256 Ext. 515 [email protected] www.buildandfly.com
Program registry and website
Frequently I receive telephone calls and e-mails telling me of things that clubs and teachers are doing to promote model aviation in the classroom and during after-school programs. While these clubs and teachers are participating in worthwhile endeavors, many of them seem to be working in a vacuum and are unaware that others are attempting to do the same things.
To help connect people, the Education Committee created the website www.buildandfly.com. The committee wanted to provide a tool that would allow people currently involved in aviation education programs to share their efforts with others.
Use the "program registration" button on the site to submit your program. Fill out the form and click the submit button. Keep in mind that submissions are reviewed before appearing on the site; you will not see your program immediately. Depending on my travel schedule, review usually takes roughly a week.
Programs that are accepted are entered into a searchable database. Those looking for programs can use the "program search" page. A short search form with fields including keyword, type of aircraft, suggested age, and cost lets you find programs that match your needs.
At this time there are only a handful of programs in the registry. I wish there were more, but I do not believe many people are aware of the site. If you have received funds for a Youth Education Stipend (YES grant) and your program is still active, please fill out the form and register it. I can think of no better way to share your success. If you have trouble with either program registration or program search, please contact me so I can help.
Committee activities (since January 1999)
The Education Committee has been active at many national and regional events:
- Three AMA Conventions in Pasadena, California
- Four National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) national conventions
- Two NSTA regional conventions
- Attendance at a National Congress on Aviation and Space Education (NCASE)
- Two Science Olympiad nationals
- Three Technology Students Association conferences
- Appearance at an Information and Communication Technologies in Education (ICTE) conference
- Two KidVenture programs at Oshkosh, Wisconsin
At the AMA Conventions, members of the Black Sheep Squadron from Southern California have put on a Delta Dart make-and-take program that draws very large crowds. It is common to see long lines of people waiting to build and fly airplanes; at times we have had to configure extra space just to accommodate waiting participants.
Teachers are like aircraft carriers; they are force multipliers. If you want to reach teachers, you must go where the teachers go. At an NSTA national convention, you can expect 10,000–12,000 teachers in attendance over three or four days. Imagine how many children you can reach if you connect with only half of those teachers. At an NSTA regional convention, you might see 6,000–8,000 teachers — and they can reach many children.
At NSTA and NCASE events, we provide teachers with information about aeromodeling-education programs, show them how to find mentors, and teach them how to use model airplanes in the classroom. We offer build-and-fly sessions at our booth every day, all day long. Teachers can stop by at their leisure and learn how to build a variety of simple models and how to trim them for successful flights. I have seldom seen a teacher leave one of these sessions who wasn't excited about what they would do back in their classroom.
Partnerships and liaisons
- Tom Sanders: our link to the Science Olympiad Wright Stuff event, a highly successful national competition involving hundreds of school teams and thousands of participants. If you are a teacher or know a teacher who wants to start a team or find members, please contact me.
- Tom Sanders: also our link to the Technology Students Association (TSA), a national non-profit devoted to elementary-, middle-, and high-school students with a dedicated interest in technology.
- Charlie Bauer: Education Committee member and District VI Vice President; our liaison with the ICTE Conference. ICTE provides a presentation and discussion platform for new educational environments and their applications.
- Black Sheep Squadron: provides make-and-take programs at AMA Conventions.
KidVenture and museum outreach
Approximately 4,500 people visited our booth at the EAA's KidVenture at Oshkosh over five days. While we did not provide build-and-fly sessions in that booth, we displayed a Remotely Controlled Airplane Demonstrator (RCAD) and provided radio-control flight training on a simulator.
The Education Committee has also been involved with outreach programs through the National Model Aviation Museum over the last few years, participating in classroom demonstrations, fairs, and exhibits in the local community.
2003–2004 schedule
Events that will have been concluded by the time you read this include:
- Indiana Parks and Recreation Department meeting — mid-March 2003
- National Science Teachers Association National Convention — late March 2003
- National Congress on Aviation and Space Education (NCASE) — early April 2003
Following are events planned for future Education Committee endeavors:
- Education Committee Meeting — Indianapolis, Indiana — May 12, 2003
- Inventing Flight: The Centennial Celebration — Dayton, Ohio — July 7–20, 2003
- Education Committee Meeting — Location to be determined — October 13, 2003
- National Science Teachers Association Regional Convention — Minneapolis, Minnesota — October 30–November 1, 2003
- First Flight Centennial Celebration — Kitty Hawk, North Carolina — December 13–17, 2003
- National Science Teachers Association National Convention — Atlanta, Georgia — April 1–4, 2004
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
