STEM Rally at McConnell

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Colby L. Hardin
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  Two hundred students from local area high schools took a trip to McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. as a part of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematical Education Coalition rally, Nov. 7.

The STEM program is designed to improve competitiveness in technology development. Instead of teaching the four subjects separately, they will be integrated and taught as one.

"We want to reach out to local high school students to show them what areas in the Air Force involve those four pillars of STEM," said 2nd Lt. Michael Reardon, 22nd Civil Engineering Squadron operations engineering chief. "We also had outside companies come show them that if the military is not for them, there are some other avenues that involve science, technology, engineering and math."

The students were shown various pieces of equipment from different squadrons around base and how STEM education applies to careers in the Air Force.

The Airmen explained how their job couldn't be completed without one of the four pillars of STEM.

"We want to show the students that there's more to the Air Force than flying," added Reardon. "We also want to reach out to the local community to show that we are not just here to do our mission, but we support them also and all of their daily endeavors."

The students were not the only ones who took something from the rally. Airmen got a break from their everyday job and got to spend time talking to the students about what kind of career they would like to pursue.

"I got to hang out with the students and improve my communication skills," said Samuel Nyamekye, 22nd CES engineer assistant. "I got to showcase what we do here at McConnell Air Force Base."

This event gave the students a chance to get an inside look at their studies and core classes being put to work and see how it translates into an actual career.

"Going through high school, I tossed a few ideas around about what I wanted to do," said Reardon. "We don't want them to think that if they come into the Air Force, they're only going to be flying. We want to show them the options that they have and also options that they have outside of the military."

Airmen had the experience to learn about other jobs on base, something that they would not normally get to do.

"I know there are people who work on base, that don't really know what's going on around the rest of the base," added Nyamekye. "I hope they don't stop here, and try to incorporate even more Airmen to show what they do."