Exploring the history of technology was the highlight of the week for Adrian Sanchez, a camper at the Frontiers of Flight Museum.
But learning how ancient inventions became high-flying machines was just one goal of the Time Travelers Workshop summer camp. Museum leaders hope the experience also encouraged students to reexamine their futures.
“In every single program that we do, we talk about the careers that are tied to these. It’s an effort to open their eyes up to the possibilities. It’s not just about the pilots and the astronauts. It’s more than that. It’s all the people in the background,” explained director of education Rosalie Wade. “Those are really important jobs, and we need people to fill them.”
Last year, the museum’s summer camps were full. This summer, the programs for rising first through 10th graders reached new heights of popularity. The museum cut off its waitlists when they grew to include too many potential campers.
“As we continue providing more of our best programming, the students are enjoying it, the parents are enjoying it,” said Edgar Pizarro, the museum’s aerospace-launchpad manager. “I see exponential growth as the years go on, which will lead to more opportunities for students to learn about STEM and the museum in general.”
The Flight Museum’s camps may be high tech, but visitors won’t find tablets in these classrooms.
Through hands-on projects, seventh to 10th graders in the Time Travelers Workshop explored potential and kinetic energy, worked on catapults and trebuchets, and even experimented with drone soccer.
One Thursday morning, the students learned about the structural elements of bridges before putting that knowledge to work.
They teamed up to construct and test their own model bridges, which had to bear weight over a six-inch space. The students were given a time limit, and their materials were limited to tape, popsicle sticks, and hot glue.
“They have to engineer their way into a tough bridge,” Pizarro remarked. “They can go and use their mind to create whatever they feel like would work.”
Incoming seventh-graders George Womack and Rhys Coffey teamed up to create a bridge that was strong enough to hold eight roles of tape, along with several model plane kits. The duo explained that they had created a truss bridge, which is built with connected triangles.
“Instead of putting a bunch of pressure on one beam, we allow a bunch of different smaller segments to take that weight individually,” Womack explained. “That way, the bridge can better conquer more weight.”
Despite their success, the seventh graders continued thinking about ways to improve their design. And the flight museum, which this summer offered camps on topics such as extreme weather, cosmic legends, and real-world rescues, is already exploring ways to enhance future offerings.
Director of education Wade said that she is hopeful the museum will offer a camp specifically tied to rapidly-evolving robotics and drone technologies.
“We can talk more about the careers that are involved with that. There’s a lot out there,” she said. “It’s something that is relevant to them and keeps them interested in the possibilities.”
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