The FAA is giving kids an opportunity to design a virtual airport in Minecraft through the Airport Design Challenge (ADC). Enrollment begins April 1, and no it is not an April Fool’s joke. The ADC is available for kids in grades K-12 and the FAA’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Aviation and Space Education (STEM AVSED) program is responsible for organizing and sponsoring the opportunity.
RELATED STORY:
FAA Airport Design Challenge Takes Off
Kids can work individually or as a team of up to five students to learn about their local airports and complete developmental tasks in the Microsoft game Minecraft.
“Something I learned was that teamwork and good communication is crucial,” Abby Roe from the WV Mountainairs team, a finalist last year, said.
The program will be facilitated by over 150 FAA employees, using weekly knowledge-check quizzes and screenshots from the students’ designs to assess their progress and provide useful feedback. The challenge involves organized lesson plans with topics like airport layout, pavement and lighting to structures.
“Thank you to the FAA for giving us the opportunity to share our passion for engineering with others,” Meera Sambhwani from the Riptide team said.
Last year’s first place- 7-12 Primary Airports Finalist: Team Solo Block Innovations
Students in the U.S. and internationally are encouraged to participate in the virtual event. Last year’s ADC involved nearly 800 students in the U.S. and overseas. Students are broken up into K-6 and 7-12 in a primary airport or non-primary airport category.
The FAA feels that even younger children can create complex structures and while skill level may vary by grade level or from one student to another, the root of the challenge is the creativity each student holds to design and develop an airport to the best of their abilities.
The project is a collaborative effort between the students, parents, teachers and FAA facilitators. Parents and legal guardians can sign their children up for the contest and give consent for them to participate. This will give the children access to the FAA Blackboard forum. The challenge will offer students first-hand experience in the aviation-related application of STEM concepts, helping students use their knowledge and skills in a creative way.
7-12 Primary Airports finalist: Team Aireos, The Detroit Metro Airport
“We were able to take something real that exists in the real world and change it into something real that may exist tomorrow,” Arjun Saini from the Aireos team, a finalist last year said.
Local airports are encouraged to be a basis for the design, ensuring each airport is being built to FAA specifications. Students are also encouraged to reach out to the local airport manager for a tour to see what the buildings and runways look like in real life.
The challenge will allow a new generation to be introduced to a new industry, meet aviation professionals and learn about STEM concepts and careers in a unique and creative way. Through Minecraft, kids can work to put their skills and creativity to the test, building what could be the airports of tomorrow.
“We need to continue to reach out to youth in their areas of interest,” Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen said. “The Airport Design Challenges does this by combining gaming and aviation to develop our leaders of tomorrow.”
Contact
Name: Haley Davoren
, Digital Content Manager
Company: GlobalAir.com
Website: https://globalair.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 502-456-3934
©2023 GlobalAir.com, Haley Davoren. All rights reserved.
Recent Comments