PENSACOLA, Florida — The National Flight Academy (NFA) has been awarded a $25,000 grant from AT&T to support STEM Saturdays, an introductory science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program designed for children in the third through sixth grades.
Held the third Saturday of every month, STEM students spend a half-day engaged in hands-on activities aboard the world’s only landlocked aircraft carrier, AMBITION. Students participate in five hours of interactive and educational activities and are provided lunch on the ship’s Mess Deck.
Additionally, all participants get a chance to fly an aircraft, drone or remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) in one of the NFA’s 42 flight simulators located in the Hangar Bay.
STEM Saturday programs cost between $40 to $50 per child, including labor and product costs. Thanks to AT&T underwriting the tuition costs, the NFA will be able to run the program fthrough May 2019 for $30 per child.
‘To maintain our country’s global leadership in aviation, today’s students must advance their skills in science, technology, engineering, and math,” said Ray Walker, AT&T Regional Director. “Our company’s support will provide educational outreach and hands-on activities for our younger generation to raise awareness of some of the exciting opportunities available to them.”
The STEM Saturday program allows students to explore the principles of flight and aerodynamics by flying the T-6 Texan II in state-of-the-art simulators, as well as build and test paper airplanes, according to officials.
