The Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center has had an astounding presence in STEM outreach events over the course of the last few years. This presence is continuing and growing.

The Junior Achievement Inspire Exploration Career Fair was held in Norman, Oklahoma on February 8, 2022. More than 2,200 middle school students from eight different school districts were able to interact through hands-on activities involving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Students were able to talk directly with industry professionals to learn about different STEM occupations which they might not have previously known to exist.

Three Aeronautical Center employees, Dr. Carla Hackworth, Office of Aerospace Medicine, Christine Huckleberry of the Hardware Engineering Subteam, and Justin Cockcroft, Manager of the Quality Systems & Business Resources Staff served on a career panel that interacted with the students through moderated discussion. Students were able to ask the panelists questions and receive direct answers. The Aeronautical Center had the largest exhibitor presence at the career fair with 10 booths, complete with various flight simulators, air traffic control computer exercises, an aviation toxicology booth, and much more. The FAA’s Aeronautical Center provided 30 STEM Outreach Representatives for this event.

Following the Junior Achievement Inspire Career Exploration Fair in Norman, another event was held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This two-day event took place on March first and second.

At the Junior Achievement (JA) Inspire Career Exploration Fair, the Aeronautical Center hosted multiple booths with eleven STEM Outreach Representatives from the FAA Academy and the Quality Systems & Business Resources Staff. There were 5,400 middle school students from around the Tulsa area who gathered to participate in the event, who gained hands-on experience flying simulators from the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI), trying out Air Traffic Control Simulators from the FAA Academy, and were provided with knowledge of possible careers in aviation.

In the midst of the JA Inspire Career Exploration Fairs, representatives from the Aeronautical Center participated in the Oklahoma Engineering Foundation’s Engineering Fair at Science Museum Oklahoma. This event brought both middle and high school students, teachers, professors, and the business community together for an introduction to engineering and related principles. The Aeronautical Center partnered with Oklahoma State University’s Unmanned Systems Research Institute to provide students with an opportunity to showcase their creativity in engineering and design by competing in a drone obstacle course competition.

The efforts of the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center will have an incredible and lasting impact on the youth of Oklahoma by exposing them to potential careers in aviation.