November 8, 2022 -- Drones flew, paper rocketships soared, and screams of excitement echoed throughout the gymnasium at Avalon Elementary School during a recent Drone Day.
School Counselor Stacy Callahan coordinated activities focused on exposing students to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education.
“It’s important for our students to see and explore those new and emerging technologies and for them to envision themselves as leaders in STEM,” said Callahan.
Topics from the day covered smart mobility and advanced air mobility. Students demonstrated this through the creation of rocket straws and drone flights.
“I liked getting to make this rocket ship,” said Namish Doma, Avalon second grader. “They can fly like drones!”
Licensed drone pilot Kellen Hodak, the managing partner at SkyView Technologies, joined the fun by sharing his experience in the STEM field.
“Education is the ground floor,” said Hodak. “As the industry grows, we need people to be aware of opportunities within STEM.”
As part of his drone presentation, Hodak and the students explored the wide variety of career opportunities available in the STEM field.
“You can work in medicine, fly drones, and develop software. Whatever it is you’re good at, you can use your natural strengths and interests to push technology forward and improve people’s lives,” said Hodak.
Additionally, teachers sent detailed flyers of the activities were sent home to parents.
“The beauty of this is that the students learn hands-on, and parents can continue that dialogue at home,” said Callahan.
Callahan expressed her desire and passion for integrating STEM education into the classroom daily and her gratitude for the support from the District’s Strategic Plan.
“Every student should have access to tools that make them feel empowered to pursue whatever they want, educationally and entrepreneurially, to make a contribution to our world,” said Callahan. Our superintendent is committed to making that happen.”
November 8, 2022, is recognized publicly as National STEM/STEAM Day across the United States. Check out these local Columbus organizations that specialize in STEM-based education and programming.
