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THE
CHALLENGE : "Fewer than 10 percent of our seventeen-year-olds
leave school with an understanding of biology, chemistry and
physics; that is, equipped to pursue engineering or scientific
programs in college." Cynthia Frank, Yale Scientific
THE REQUIREMENT: A method for motivating youth and stimulating
an interest in science and mathematics.
Under
the sponsorship of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, the
National Museum of Naval Aviation is meeting that requirement.
With a 34-year record of educating youth, the Naval Aviation
Museum Foundation is employing a multi-layer approach to motivating
and educating school children using aviation as a central theme:
The
Flight to Excellence Program incorporates educational
IMAX® movies including The Magic of Flight and other
movies with accompanying teachers' guides. Through this program
more than 170,000 school children ages 5 to 17 have been introduced
to the scientific principles involved in flight.
The
Flight Adventure Deck is a collaborative effort between
the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation and the school districts
of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, Florida. The Flight Adventure
Deck encompasses a 9,000 square-foot wing of the Museum outfitted
at a cost of $2,000,000 and devoted to the teaching of science,
mathematics and technology, employing hands-on interactive devices.
Thirty-eight interactive devices, 11 educational kiosks, 5 wind
tunnels and 4 computer-based flight simulators are incorporated
as part of a truly revolutionary educational experience for
6th through 8th grade students. The curriculum will soon be
expanded to include grades 9 through 12.
THE
FUTURE... THE NATIONAL FLIGHT ACADEMY:
The National
Flight Academy will be a program that exposes youth throughout
the United States to an intense, exciting and fun program that:
- Reaffirms fundamental core values through team building
and role models
- Integrates current applications in science, mathematics
and technology
- Uses aviation as a central learning theme
During a five-day educational course, 264 students will be assigned
to squadrons of 12 with 2 adult flight leaders. A 200,000 square-foot
facility adjoining the National Museum of Naval Aviation will
house classrooms, simulators, system trainers, laboratories
and flight physiology facilities. Dormatory and dining facilities
for the students and counselors will be included in the Academy.
OUR
GOAL: To motivate young people to pursue careers in science,
mathematics and technology, and to prepare them to meet the
challenges of the 21st century.
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Flight
to Excellence Program