Focus on Education - 2003/09

September 2003 159
THE JULY 2003 Focus on Education
column, written by Education Coordinator
Jack Frost, centered on the National Science
Teachers Association convention held in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. My presence at
that convention, working in the booth,
prompted Jack to ask me (Bob Underwood)
whether I saw any changes in our emphasis
on education within AMA in recent years.
In responding to his question, I run the
risk of making this column more personal
than usual, but perhaps my reply will provide
some insights. Before I begin, here are a few
historical notes.
For many years, the only identifiable
AMA effort in the education field—at least
for youth—was the Adopt-a-School program.
While this was to some extent a success, it
was limited in many ways. AMA didn’t make
a concentrated effort to promote the concept,
nor was there the opportunity to easily
develop the program among teachers who
were not modelers. Adopt-a-School was in
place while I served as AMA Technical
Director and during the nine months I was
Executive Director (ED) when AMA moved
to Muncie, Indiana.
Following my tenure as ED, I resumed the
job of Technical Director—on a part-time
basis—from my home in St. Louis. This was
while Jerry Rouillard was the ED. Working
from St. Louis was not an acceptable
situation. Fortunately, Steve Kaluf filled the
position of AMA Technical Director a year
later and I was free to “retire” again.
As a former teacher, I was interested in
expanding our educational activities. I
approached Jerry about forming an education
program. He thought it was a great idea and
suggested I forge ahead. With Executive
Council support, Jerry created an Education
Director position.
So much for retirement! A committee was
formed, a meeting was held, goals were
developed, and the education program was on
its way.
For the next two years, the committee
members worked diligently to try to keep up
with the increasing numbers of programs and
conventions. One ambitious project centered
on live satellite presentations beamed to
classrooms from our Muncie facility. These
were made possible through Ball State
University facilities and reached as many as
70,000 fifth- through seventh-graders at once.
New concepts were developed including
the Youth Education Stipend (YES) grants
and the $1 Youth membership. Science
teacher conventions also became a focus.
It became evident to me that working as a
part-time employee from a remote site, I was
incapable of keeping up with the activities. I
proposed hiring a full-time staff person,
located in Muncie, to carry on the activities.
That happened and that brings us to the
present. That also brings us to the reason Jack
asked me to compare what is happening now
with what we envisioned at the first
organizational meeting seven years ago.
In Philadelphia, while Jack and committee
members Michael Smith and Art Ellis moved
approximately 600 teachers through makeand-
take programs, I handed out literature to
roughly a thousand more, answered
questions, and directed them to investigate
the various Web sites available.
It was a most invigorating experience; in
my mind, I couldn’t help but compare it to
the first experience we had a few years ago in
Indianapolis, Indiana. The booth has
improved; the number of people served has
increased, and the responses from those
talking to us revealed that our message was
heard. Many of the people dropping by
simply wanted to indicate that their contact
with AMA had provided them with valuable
programs that they had tried. Now they were
eager for more, and the “more” is being
provided!
As I look at the activities of the committee
today, I believe it has succeeded beyond the
expectations put forth during the committee’s
first meeting. Those successes have been
detailed in this column and the Newcomers
column. Involvement in the Science
Olympiad, the Technology Student
Association, various science teachers’
conventions, the Smithsonian’s (SITES) “On
Miniature Wings,” and the national program
“Inventing Flight” are but a few of those
activities.
This year as “Countdown to Kitty Hawk”
activities take place, AMA is in a position to
meet a large number of individuals. Picture, if
you will, a make-and-take model activity on
the front lawn of the Air Force Museum
during two weekends in July. This is an
opportunity for thousands to quickly build a
flyable model and receive help trimming it
for optimum performance.
To an extent, the Education Committee’s
success has generated a problem. There is the
issue of volunteer help to maintain these
programs, not to mention the resources to
expand other ideas in the works. There is
dialogue regarding plans to help in this area.
You can be certain that they will include you
if you are an interested party.
There are other manifestations of
increasing awareness. If you study AMA
membership numbers, you will note an
interesting trend. In 1994, there were 159,000
Open members and 16,000 Youth members.
The percentage of Youth members to Open
members was roughly 10%. Last year, those
numbers were 173,420 and 22, 620, or
slightly more than 13%.
I know that the $1 Youth membership
didn’t exist in 1994, but it was the Education
Committee that presented the idea to the
Executive Council. This has helped make
educational activities for schools and clubs
easier to sell.
There is another element of the
membership issue to consider. It is not
possible to document this, but as we moved
into the second year of the $1 Youth
membership, those of us working at trade
shows began to note an interesting trend. We
had young people—with parents in tow—
arriving at the booth to sign up mom and/or
dad!
Colleen Pierce, AMA’s Membership
Supervisor, began receiving calls that
indicated a similar trend. In that case, if a
parent became a member, the request was to
move the Youth membership from a $15
(with magazine) membership to a straight $1
Youth membership. Interesting, isn’t it? How
many of those “Open add-ons” occurred? We
haven’t a clue, but the point is that we have
reached a larger audience.
Please understand that finances are not the
overriding issue here. It is the fact that
through the various programs, increased
numbers of people are being reached.
There has been increased AMA youth
activity in competition events both nationally
and internationally. Activities associated with
the Science Olympiad in the United States
and a developing, aggressive program within
the National Free Flight Society have
spawned significant participation.
Another important factor to consider is
that there is always a time lag between
“presentation” and “participation.” The
normal response is to feel that if a program is
initiated this year there should be progress
next year, but it doesn’t work that way!
Those science teachers and clubs who put
programs in place seven years ago may be
seeing notable results today, but if those
participating in the program were fifthgraders
then, it may be another seven years
before the gestation period ends and a
modeler emerges. That’s the nature of
education! While progress is measured in
millimeters, the youth grows in inches until
maturity. Just be patient!
In answering Jack’s query about the
committee, I feel that significant progress has
been made as the result of excellent
committee leadership and inspired effort by
committee members. But—and there’s
always one of those—there is one area where
I feel there is still a great deal of work to do.
At the first Education Committee meeting,
we identified the fact that education is not
just for youth. Much work is needed to help
the 65-year-old newcomer. In many cases,
this individual needs just as much education,
encouragement, and general help as the fifthgrader.
The committee hasn’t fully tackled
that task as yet. It isn’t because we haven’t
wanted to; the problem has been limited
resources in time, money, and help. This
element is being addressed, so be patient.
If there has been a source of frustration
I’ve felt in the last few years, it is the same
one I encountered while serving in other
AMA positions as both a volunteer and a paid
employee. I call it the “case of the lost
message.” Until a short time ago, I have
Focus on Education
Jack Frost
AMA Education
Coordinator
Tel.: (765) 287-1256
Ext. 515
[email protected]
written for this magazine for 20 years. I have
stood in trade show booths serving members
for almost as long. Regardless of how often
one answers a question, the next question
asked is that question!
At a recent trade show, a member had a
question concerning education. It was
typical, something like, “When is AMA
going to do something about education for
kids? After all, us old guys like you and me
will die and the hobby will die.”
Aside from the fact I was somewhat
distressed to be placed in the “old” category,
I was equally distressed to find that the man
didn’t have a clue that anything was
happening in AMA with educational
programs. Politely, I enumerated the many
activities, cited the various Web sites where
he could find information about programs
and activities, and asked whether he ever
read this column? He knew not and had not.
Satisfied that I had fully informed the
member, I attempted to assuage his fear that
modeling is headed for extinction. I added
that in some ways aeromodeling is morphing
into a different form. His response after 15
minutes was to ask, “Yes, but what are we
going to do about not gaining youth
members?”
In the words of Charlie Brown, “Good
grief!”
Aeromodeling education is doing well!
Stay informed. When those 600 science
teachers we worked with at the Philadelphia
convention spread the word to their
colleagues and inspire each of their 300
students every year, the word “explosion”
will take on a different meaning. Then there
are those crowds in Dayton and the
thousands of kids in Science Olympiad—and
on and on ... Exciting isn’t it?
And, don’t worry about the man who
asked the question at the trade show. He
doesn’t read this column anyway!
—Bob Underwood