Engineers and other STEM professionals from Boeing OKC visited some 140 junior and senior students at the Oklahoma School of Science Mathematics today, challenging them to design, build, and test a prototype of an airplane wing.
Students briefly reviewed the physics of flight and spent the afternoon working together in teams, using their creativity and basic home and office supplies to design and build wing structures as lightweight yet as strong as possible. Boeing engineers then tested the wings, weighing each team’s entry and then loading it with weight until the wing failed. The weight carried and the weight of the wing itself were used to derive each team’s score.
The top three teams were recognized with fun prizes for their effective designs, and all OSSM students had a great time being engineers for an afternoon!
“OSSM students receive a very strong foundation in the math and science needed to pursue engineering and other STEM studies in their higher education,” said OSSM president Dr. Frank Wang. “More than a third of our alumni now past their higher education are practicing engineers. We are very grateful to Boeing for helping us provide a truly transformational educational experience to all our students that will prepare them well to pursue careers of the future.”
“Our goal is to inspire the next generation to pursue careers in STEM,” said Kristin Holland, community investor, Boeing Oklahoma City. “We want to encourage Oklahoma students to dream big and access the tools necessary to succeed, and OSSM’s innovative STEM programs provide just that.”
