The Abbotsford International Airshow may not be happening this summer, but students will still get to participate in a special Aviation Summer Camp, which will now be virtual.
The AIA Society is partnering with GearBots Educational Resources to launch a virtual Aerospace S.T.E.M. camp later this summer for students aged 10 to 15.
GearBots is an Abbotsford organization founded by Abbotsford Senior Secondary School teacher Dereck Dirom that offers extra-curricular Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S.T.E.M.) programming for students.
S.T.E.M. integrates those four fields to teach students how to think critically to solve problems in innovative ways. The principles of S.T.E.M. are critical to the world of aviation and aerospace, where technology and human ingenuity have combined to reach achievements such as powered flight, jet propulsion, and space travel.
The AIA Society was planning to host an Aviation Summer Camp in advance of the airshow this year, as well as create a large S.T.E.M. activity zone at the event itself. But, with the cancellation of the airshow the society is moving the camp to a virtual format, which opens up the potential to use more digital technology in the program.
The Virtual Aerospace S.T.E.M. Camp will combine interactive, online sessions with at-home activities to introduce students to the physics of flight, aircraft design and engineering, and basic programming. The online sessions will be three hours each, held on consecutive Tuesdays from July 7 to Aug. 4. There are 24 available spots in the camp at a cost of $190 each, plus tax.
For more information, please visit gearbots.org/summer-camps.
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