Charting a Course for the Future through Aviation STEM

摘要

The William J. Hughes Technical Center (WJHTC) is the FAA's premier air transportation laboratory and national scientific test base for research and development, test and evaluation, and verification and validation of the systems that enable the NAS. Within the vast portfolio of research activities and initiatives at the WJHTC, a new program could be among the most important to not only aviation's future, but also the future of our country. It is called the Aviation, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (AvSTEM) program and is an initiative to use aviation principles and applications to spark an interest in the four disciplines of STEM. AvSTEM is unique to the WJHTC and is a part of the FAA's National Aviation and Space Education (AVSED) program. AvSTEM outreach initiatives aim to reach students ranging from kindergarten through high school, as well as college undergraduate and graduate students in and around the southern New Jersey area. The AvSTEM program also collaborates with educators to incorporate aviation-themed lessons in the classroom where those lessons can continue to impact students for years to come.