Academy provides STEM research for local school children

  • Published
  • By Jennifer Green-Lanchoney
  • Office of Research
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  The Air Force Academy's Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Program and the Challenger Learning Center of Colorado teamed up to provide a low-cost STEM Camp July 27 - 31 for more than 40 children at Pioneer Elementary School in Colorado Springs.

During the weeklong camp at the District 20 school, the first through fifth-grade students built rockets, researched flight and rocketry, created robots with LEGOs and took part in engineering activities focused on design, programming and circuitry.

"It makes sense the Academy and Challenger Learning Center would come together to produce the next generation of scientists and engineers," said Rob Fredell, the president and CEO of Colorado Consortium for Earth and Space Science Education at the Challenger Learning Center. 

For many years, the Academy has dedicated funds through the National Defense Education Grant to provide STEM outreach. During the academic year, the Challenger Learning Center has used those funds to benefit students and teachers in 50 schools across Colorado.

"Challenger Learning Center is the main avenue for the Academy to facilitate STEM-learning for Kindergarten through 12th-grade students," said Col. Neal Barlow, head of the Academy's Aeronautics Department. "We want to engage with younger kids and expose them to different kinds of math and science. We are developing our future research and development teams right here."