By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org
The Women of the Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan (WAIAM) will be offering a free and virtual event for girls grades 4-8th to promote STEM education and the aerospace industry as these students plan their future studies.
The event, “Michigan Girls Future Flight Challenge” consists of a four-week long project, where student groups will be assigned to professional women in the aerospace industry as mentors throughout the program. Girls grades 4-8th are invited to participate by creating a team of 2-5 students then registering at https://aiamnow.com/events/.
The assignment is to design a sustainable, unique way of flight to solve a problem. The students will be given guidance and inspiration at the kickoff event on April 23 and immediately begin working with their teams and mentors until final presentations take place May 21.
A team of judges will determine the top teams. Prizes will be awarded, and each participant will receive a free t-shirt for taking part in the competition.
“The WAIAM is a committee within AIAM,” said Tony Vernaci, AIAM Founder and President. “Their mission is to actively work to create advocacy, education, and visibility for women and girls in aerospace across Michigan.
Michigan’s aerospace industry is full of opportunities. The event will reveal the potential this industry has to offer for young girls.”
Michigan has one of the most extensive aerospace clusters in the nation with nearly 1,000 companies supporting the global industry. A number of Michigan companies are sponsoring this event including Eaton, Woodward, Jackson Flexible Products, Array of Engineers, Genuen, Barron Industries, PALM Industries, and Calumet Electronics. Additional sponsors are needed to help make this competition possible and free for the students.
“We are excited to offer this opportunity,” said Stacy Paul, CEO of Array of Engineers. “The WAIAM look forward to inspiring these young girls and demonstrating through this experience how truly rewarding a career in the aerospace industry can be and the importance of STEM.”
The WAIAM virtual kickoff event will take place on Saturday, April 23, at 10 a.m. EST. The event is free and all girls grades 4-8th are invited and welcome to participate. Those wishing to learn more or to register for the event can do so at https://aiamnow.com/events/.
