The Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center participated in the Oklahoma Technology Student Association (TSA) Fall Leadership Conference on Wednesday, October 18th. The conference provided students with workshops to help them gain leadership skills. They were able to participate in STEM challenges with the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and interact with industry professionals and other TSA members from across the state. MMAC supplied students with information on Aviation Careers while interacting with the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute’s fixed-wing flight simulators and the Air Traffic Control Practice simulation. The event, held at Embassy Suites in Norman, was attended by approximately 1,200 students from almost 250 schools across Oklahoma. This was an excellent opportunity to meet educators from the different schools. The conference ended with students participating in a community service event where they could make blankets, dog toys, or warming kits to help out members of their community.
On Tuesday, October 17, STEM outreach representatives participated in the Moore High School Career Day, where almost 60 colleges and companies from around Oklahoma were in attendance. Students from 9th to 12th grades had the opportunity to interact with professionals to discuss college options and explore career opportunities available right here in our state. Several students had visited the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center on a previous career visit and stated that seeing the Transportation Safety Institute’s boneyard was a favorite during their tour. Moore Public Schools offer Aviation and Aircraft Maintenance courses through a partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of CareerTech.
The month of November, they kicked off with a STEM event happening in Moore, Oklahoma. The Aeronautical Center hosted a group of 22 high school juniors and seniors with the Moore Norman Technology Center engineering program. This program is college preparatory for students in the Norman and Moore High School districts interested in a future career in engineering. Participating students were given an overview of the Aeronautical Center and how our work contributes to the FAA’s mission of ensuring safe and efficient airspace. Following the overview, students visited the Transportation Safety Institute to learn about aircraft crash scene investigations. The group toured the hangars and planes in the Flight Program Operations area and the FAA Academy, where they explored the Air Traffic Control Gate Maze simulation and a demonstration of the Approach Landing System.
The Aeronautical Center was also represented at the EvenMoore Career Expo with 1,500 high school juniors present! The students spent the day exploring careers by engaging with professionals from across different industries. Students rotated among five 25-minute sessions where they could ask questions and, research educational requirements career paths, and investigate the salaries of different types of jobs that they might be interested in pursuing. Other industries participating in the event include law enforcement, construction, medical, cybersecurity, military, and local colleges.
The AMC-3 organization participated in a Halloween-themed "Spooky" STEAM Night, hosted by Ridgecrest Elementary School in the Mid-Del School District. The event provided families of students in Pre-K through 5th grade an opportunity to dress up in costume and enjoy activities centered around Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. One of the favorite activities of the evening was being able to interact with a lemur, wallaby, and snake from one of the attending vendors. Aeronautical Center Outreach Representatives helped students understand what we do at FAA while allowing them to practice their skills as potential Air Traffic Controllers.
