The Museum’s Summer Flight School and School-Year Educational Programs  Promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Math

Thanks to a recent $50,000 grant from The Boeing Company, Dallas’ Frontiers of Flight Museum’s widely recognized “Flight School” will soar to new heights, as  the Museum’s summer and school-year educational programs will be enhancedand expanded to serve more students throughout  North Texas. Visit: http://www.flightmuseum.com/education-overview/.

The grant, combined with funds to be raised at the 2014  Frontiers of Flight Museum Gala on April 11, will help the Frontiers of Flight Museum double the number of children served in the Museum’s on-site and satellite STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education programs from 6,000 to more than 12,000 in 2014.  The funding will support professional services to develop and expand content, and provide program enrichment and evaluation for continuous improvement and growth.  It will further the Museum’s goal of securing additional staffing, technology and teaching resources to serve more children.  These enhancements   will help meet the accelerated demand for the Frontiers of Flight Museum’s outstanding educational programs within the North Texas community.

The Museum recently enhanced its infrastructure and has experienced an extraordinary period of growth.  A new website, donor and member database, POS system, marketing materials and public relations have contributed to the Museum’s increase in community awareness. These initiatives, along with new programs and exhibits, have resulted in an over 30% increase in attendance last year.  This success sets the stage for the Museum to place special emphasis on its rapidly growing STEM education programs to better meet the interest and needs of North Texas school children and educators.     

“The Museum is a learning laboratory using aviation and space flight to encourage and promote student excellence in STEM education, which are integral parts of both our school-year and summer Flight School programs,” said Cheryl Sutterfield-Jones, President and CEO, Frontiers of Flight Museum. “Generous funding support from the Boeing Grant and the 2014 Frontiers of Flight Museum Gala will help us strengthen the Museum’s science, technology, engineering and math education programs and encourage student interest in those fields, ultimately bolstering the workforce of the future.”

Many of the students who have participated in the Museum’s educational programs have their sights aimed high on becoming aviators, rocket scientists or just learning the basics of aviation.

“The Frontier’s of Flight Museum’s Flight School has been a tremendous experience for our son Will,” said Cynthia Thomas.  “Will began attending Flight School as a youngster.  Today, he’s a sophomore at Central High School in Keller ISD and he continues to be inspired to excel and he’s encouraged to gain more knowledge on aviation as he returns each summer.  Will loves the Frontiers of Flight Museum’s expert instructors who make the program educational, interactive and most of all, fun!”  

Children participating in eight different aviation camps in Dallas said that they enjoy coming back year after year. “I like coming each summer because  these camps have taught me everything I know about rockets and airplanes, and I even learned how to apply new math skills too,” said Grace Nobles, an eighth grader at The Alexander School in Richardson. “Flight School is lots of fun and I can’t wait for the 2014 summer camps to begin.”  

Parents and grandparents said that their children have learned a wide range of aviation lessons. “They’re learning physics and they’re learning about space,” said Craig Marckwardt, whose grandson Nate has been a long-time participant in the educational programs.

Nate, now 11-years-old, joined his grandfather on his first visit to the Frontiers of Flight Museum at age 3.   Since then, he participated in the Museum’s “Friday Flights” (for children 4-6), and he has progressed in every level Flight School and Rocket Science program appropriate to his age and grade level since.  Nate is currently enrolled in Aero Lab and Rocket Lab for this summer and is looking forward to both. “I can say with some pride that Nate likely knows the Museum's exhibits and aircraft as well as any of the volunteer docents, yet  he still enjoys regular visits with his sister and me to the Frontiers of Flight Museum every chance he gets,” said Marckwardt.

The Frontiers of Flight Museum, a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate, is a gem in the North Texas community that attracts over 100,000 visitors annually including 30,000 students.  The Museum is conveniently located just north of downtown on Lemmon Avenue at the southeast side of Dallas Love Field Airport, north of Mockingbird Lane.

Housed in a modern 100,000-square-foot facility, the Frontiers of Flight Museum provides a focal point to explore the history and progress of aviation, as mankind continues to pursue going higher, faster and farther. Educational classes for all ages are offered throughout the year, designed to excite the imagination in science, technology, engineering, and math through spacecraft design, aerodynamics, model-building, space survival, and other disciplines.

 “The Frontiers of Flight Museum is grateful for the community’s support of our future growth and innovative development of our educational programs,” said Sutterfield-Jones. This type of ongoing support will help the Museum fuel  students’ love of learning and help North Texas children aim high academically.”

For information call: (214) 350-1651 or visit www.flightmuseum.com.