July 2003 143
NUMBERS don’t lie. AMA’s youth membership is up! In August
1999, the youth membership was 20,321, in August 2000 it was
22,218, and in August 2001 it was 23,217!
It probably has a lot to do with youth membership dues being
only one dollar, but that’s not all. It also has grown because there are
clubs and individuals making great efforts to develop and maintain
youth modeling programs.
I often read about the lack of youth involved in modeling in
various columns in a wide variety of publications, including this one.
This may be true in some Special Interest Groups, but if it were true
in all of them, how could the youth membership numbers keep
growing?
This column has focused on successful youth programs in the
past. Youth Education Stipend (YES) grants have been awarded to
Free Flight (FF), Control Line (CL), and Radio Control (RC)
programs. Some of these programs have been—and continue to be—
successful.
Is your club attracting youth as you would like? If so, would you
mind sharing your approach with others? If not, do you know why?
During the last two AMA Conventions in Pasadena, California, the
Education Committee has invited club representatives from a 50-
mile radius to attend a round-table discussion to talk about education
concerns. Both meetings were enlightening. We shared information,
strategy, and did more than a little brainstorming.
This year we decided that we would try to do the same thing at
other events. Since we were already going to be in Philadelphia for
the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Convention, we
invited clubs from that area to attend. Despite my tardiness, the
meeting was informative and successful.
AMA News
Academy of Model Aeronautics 5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN 47302
View from HQ
See page 184
Focus on Education
Jack Frost
AMA Education Coordinator
Tel.: (765) 287-1256, Ext. 515
[email protected]
www.buildandfly.com
Jack Frost (L) at the NSTA convention in Philadelphia showing
attendees how to modify Skystreaks.
Education Committee member Michael Smith supervised
building, showing attendees how easy and fun it is.
The teachers weren’t the only ones to enjoy the building
sessions conducted in the education booth at the NSTA
Convention.
Committee member Art Ellis, center, took charge of the flight
instruction.
144
As we talk to more club members, we’re
starting to find a common theme: most kids
want to enjoy aeromodeling with those of
their own age. While mentors are necessary
to help teach the basics and be available to
answer questions occasionally, they need to
understand that most youngsters are just not
that interested in hanging out with them on a
long-term basis.
Maybe a junior club within a club is the
answer. This is an example of things we are
learning through these round-table meetings.
The Wright Flyer RCAD was popular at the
NSTA convention.
Roughly 17,000 teachers attended the
NSTA convention in Philadelphia. We had
no way of tracking how many we actually
spoke with, but many walked away with
new ideas and big smiles.
We wanted to schedule a round-table
meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, during the Civil
Air Patrol’s National Congress on Aviation
and Space Education (NCASE), but this
weekend conflicted with the Toledo show
and the clubs we invited had already made
other plans.
We intend to keep scheduling these
meetings as often as we can to get as much
input as possible. There is an NSTA regional
convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota,
October 30-November 1, 2003. We don’t
know yet what day will be scheduled for the
meeting.
Wind it up and let it fly!
Jack shows how to trim the aircraft.
The national NSTA convention is in
Atlanta, Georgia, April 1-4, 2004. Again, we
have not yet scheduled the day for the
meeting. If you reside in these areas, I hope
you will be able to attend.
Another topic brought to light in our
discussion in Philadelphia was quality RC
flight instruction within clubs. There are
those who would like to see flight
proficiency guidelines/standards for
becoming an instructor pilot and for being
signed off as a solo pilot.
While this is more along the lines of
training instead of education, it is certainly
something that should not be ignored. I have
been asked to look into the development of
flight proficiency standards that clubs might
use on a voluntary basis.
This effort won’t be an overnight thing,
so if you’re interested, please be patient.
I’ll leave you with a few more photos of the
Philadelphia NSTA convention. Think
thermals!
These are the attendees of the round-table
discussion in Philadelphia. All photos by
Bob Underwood.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/07
Page Numbers: 143,144
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/07
Page Numbers: 143,144
July 2003 143
NUMBERS don’t lie. AMA’s youth membership is up! In August
1999, the youth membership was 20,321, in August 2000 it was
22,218, and in August 2001 it was 23,217!
It probably has a lot to do with youth membership dues being
only one dollar, but that’s not all. It also has grown because there are
clubs and individuals making great efforts to develop and maintain
youth modeling programs.
I often read about the lack of youth involved in modeling in
various columns in a wide variety of publications, including this one.
This may be true in some Special Interest Groups, but if it were true
in all of them, how could the youth membership numbers keep
growing?
This column has focused on successful youth programs in the
past. Youth Education Stipend (YES) grants have been awarded to
Free Flight (FF), Control Line (CL), and Radio Control (RC)
programs. Some of these programs have been—and continue to be—
successful.
Is your club attracting youth as you would like? If so, would you
mind sharing your approach with others? If not, do you know why?
During the last two AMA Conventions in Pasadena, California, the
Education Committee has invited club representatives from a 50-
mile radius to attend a round-table discussion to talk about education
concerns. Both meetings were enlightening. We shared information,
strategy, and did more than a little brainstorming.
This year we decided that we would try to do the same thing at
other events. Since we were already going to be in Philadelphia for
the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Convention, we
invited clubs from that area to attend. Despite my tardiness, the
meeting was informative and successful.
AMA News
Academy of Model Aeronautics 5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN 47302
View from HQ
See page 184
Focus on Education
Jack Frost
AMA Education Coordinator
Tel.: (765) 287-1256, Ext. 515
[email protected]
www.buildandfly.com
Jack Frost (L) at the NSTA convention in Philadelphia showing
attendees how to modify Skystreaks.
Education Committee member Michael Smith supervised
building, showing attendees how easy and fun it is.
The teachers weren’t the only ones to enjoy the building
sessions conducted in the education booth at the NSTA
Convention.
Committee member Art Ellis, center, took charge of the flight
instruction.
144
As we talk to more club members, we’re
starting to find a common theme: most kids
want to enjoy aeromodeling with those of
their own age. While mentors are necessary
to help teach the basics and be available to
answer questions occasionally, they need to
understand that most youngsters are just not
that interested in hanging out with them on a
long-term basis.
Maybe a junior club within a club is the
answer. This is an example of things we are
learning through these round-table meetings.
The Wright Flyer RCAD was popular at the
NSTA convention.
Roughly 17,000 teachers attended the
NSTA convention in Philadelphia. We had
no way of tracking how many we actually
spoke with, but many walked away with
new ideas and big smiles.
We wanted to schedule a round-table
meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, during the Civil
Air Patrol’s National Congress on Aviation
and Space Education (NCASE), but this
weekend conflicted with the Toledo show
and the clubs we invited had already made
other plans.
We intend to keep scheduling these
meetings as often as we can to get as much
input as possible. There is an NSTA regional
convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota,
October 30-November 1, 2003. We don’t
know yet what day will be scheduled for the
meeting.
Wind it up and let it fly!
Jack shows how to trim the aircraft.
The national NSTA convention is in
Atlanta, Georgia, April 1-4, 2004. Again, we
have not yet scheduled the day for the
meeting. If you reside in these areas, I hope
you will be able to attend.
Another topic brought to light in our
discussion in Philadelphia was quality RC
flight instruction within clubs. There are
those who would like to see flight
proficiency guidelines/standards for
becoming an instructor pilot and for being
signed off as a solo pilot.
While this is more along the lines of
training instead of education, it is certainly
something that should not be ignored. I have
been asked to look into the development of
flight proficiency standards that clubs might
use on a voluntary basis.
This effort won’t be an overnight thing,
so if you’re interested, please be patient.
I’ll leave you with a few more photos of the
Philadelphia NSTA convention. Think
thermals!
These are the attendees of the round-table
discussion in Philadelphia. All photos by
Bob Underwood.
