Model Airplanes

About 2,600 of Georgia’s brightest kids are swarming though Athens’ Classic Center this week, along with their intelligent robots, miniature solar-powered cars, model planes powered with rubber bands, videos, computer programs and just about anything else an engineering-minded youngster might come up with.

There’s politicking going on, too — students campaigning to become next year’s state officers in the Georgia Technology Student Association, now having its annual State Leadership Conference in Athens.

The TSA, part of a nationwide network, aims to develop leadership skills as well as science and technology skills such as robotics and programming, explained Georgia TSA executive director Steve Price.

The students, from grades 6-12 in schools from Hart County to Hahira, are competing in 76 separate events during their time in Athens, which began Wednesday and continues through a Saturday morning awards ceremony.

One Wednesday event was a race to see which team’s solar-powered car could keep going the longest. On Thursday in the Classic Center’s Grand Hall, robotics teams watched their machines — some small, some large — navigate obstacle courses or pick up objects and heave them over a fence.

What promises to be one of the conference’s most entertaining events was scheduled for Friday — flying competitions featuring airplanes powered by rubber bands.

Other competitions include video game design, structural design and engineering, essays, animatronics, and even architectural renovation and fashion design and technology. Each competitor placing from first through 10th place adds points to their school’s totals as they vie for the coveted overall winner trophy.

Part technical education

Article source: http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2017-03-09/state-s-brightest-kids-swarming-classic-center-week

The exercise had come down to the last team, and the last throw.

It would be up to Aiken Middle School student Toriec Smith to send his team to victory or defeat. He held the carefully crafted paper airplane above his head and sent it into the air with a toss of his right hand.

A hush came over the gymnasium filled with eighth-grade boys as it appeared that Smith’s plane might dip too low too fast – but just as it dove toward the floor the paper airplane’s design stopped its descent and instead sailed smoothly beyond all the other competitors.

Smith was quickly mobbed by his teammates, and his classmates roared their approval.

“I was kind of nervous, but I thought it had a chance,” Smith said. “I had a lot of fun building the airplane. I like airplanes. It felt good to see the plane go so far. I was happy.”

Smith was not the only one pleased with the outcome of the exercise, which tasked teams of students with completing a specific paper airplane design and submitting related reports on engineering and budget costs.

Standing just a short distance away, Mark Elam, the director of state and local government relations, and Frank Hatten, the education relations specialist, both from Boeing South Carolina, were thrilled with what unfolded before them during Aiken Middle School’s annual Manufacturing Day event.

“These students are learning about Boeing – and what we do – and particularly about STEM learning because we think that is the future in South

Article source: http://www.aikenstandard.com/education/aiken-middle-students-learn-about-teamwork-at-manufacturing-day/article_904d9f18-05c7-11e7-b489-b32f9d0d2a66.html