Students try their skills at aviation and engineering

KALAMAZOO--High school and middle school students from Kalamazoo Public Schools and Calhoun and Van Buren Intermediate School Districts will learn about various aerospace and aviation careers during Project Aerospace Expo Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 19, at the Western Michigan University College of Aviation in Battle Creek, Mich.

WMU aeronautical engineering and aviation faculty will be on hand for presentations and demonstrations at WMU's aviation campus, located at the W. K. Kellogg Airport. Students will move from station to station and engage in launching water rockets and building gliders. Also on display for students to explore will be WMU's Boeing 727, a Kitfox aircraft, SAE Formula racecars, the Sunseeker solar car and a student-built concrete canoe.

Sponsored by WMU and the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, the event is designed to encourage young people to prepare for careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines. The long-range goal is to develop a pipeline of diverse talent for the aerospace and aviation industries.

For more information, contact Tom Thinnes in the College of Aviation College at @email or (269) 964-5768.