MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --
McConnell just finished hosting a free STEM camp for young boys and girls on and around the base, from July 15-19, 2019 at the XPX Innovation Lab.
The purpose of the camp is to develop the minds of young adults and children and prepare them for a prospering science, technology, engineering and math educated ecosystem.
“The Department of Defense, provides learning opportunities to inspire and cultivate a diverse pool of exceptional talent,” said Lt. Col. Doug Snead, chief of the XPX Innovation Lab. “DoD programs connect STEM education in the classroom to the excitement, skills and challenges that come with safeguarding our country.”
STEM camps teach young children to use their knowledge while participating in activities with other camp participants by helping one another to accomplish tasks and answer questions during lessons. The theme varies every time the camp is organized and this time around the theme was, “This Summer We Take Flight”. Children who attended the camp were given instruction and taught first hand on how to create, and later fly their very own radio-controlled airplane.
“McConnell has been holding STEM events for over the past 20 years,” said Snead. “They generally do one major event every year on McConnell. These events vary from Fall STEM Rally, or an Airshow STEM area and in the case of a few days ago, a summer camp.”
The STEM camp activities include academic lessons on the principles of flight and a Wichita State University STEM FutureMaker Mobile Learning Lab trailer that had been used for the opening day. In the trailer, kids were given the opportunity to perform an augmented reality engine disassembly, virtual reality welding, virtual reality spray painting and a real rivet gun demonstration.
The 6th-8th graders benefit from attending the camp by focusing on hands on events and exercises that connect STEM principals they learn in school with real world lessons and experiences.
STEM camps provide Airmen the opportunity to give brief academic lessons before helping the camp participants with hands on exercises. The McConnell Airmen provided RC planes to kids and taught them how to use them.
“Nearly all military units, and McConnell especially, depend on technology to succeed,” said Snead. “We are in competition for scientific and technical talent coming into the workforce.”
The best way for parents to put their child or children into the program is to put them on a waitlist by emailing, 22ARW.STEM.PX@us.af.mil.