AAE student leaders help local elementary school with STEM Night

Six AAE student organizations participated in STEM Night on March 10, 2016 at Edgelea Elementary School in Lafayette, IN. The event gave the grade schoolers the chance to learn about these areas of study while having fun.

Roughly 300 people attended the event. They had the opportunity to build a vehicle and perform an egg drop with The Mars Society Purdue Chapter; build and launch a stomp rocket with Purdue Space Day; learn about the solar system with Purdue SEDS; launch a bike pump rocket with A.S.T.R.O.; or build and test two different types of foam gliders with Aero Assist and Purdue AIAA.

Edgelea Principal Alicia Clevenger says the goal was for the students and their families to have fun while learning. She is grateful Purdue student organizations were willing to bring their expertise and knowledge in an engaging and fun way.

"These events are about students and their families engaging in learning together," says Clevenger. "I think the parents has just as much fun as the students!"

Purdue AIAA President Ben Vernhes says his organization wanted to be involved in STEM Night to help inspire young, curious minds to someday pursue STEM related careers.

"During the event, a 3rd grader shared with us that he wanted to be an engineer and when asked what engineers did he replied, They make the world a better place. We love that kind of mindset and want to spread it among not only our AIAA members, but the youth," says Vernhes.

Vernhes was one of about 20 Purdue AAE student leaders who participated in the event.

Pictured: Ben Vernhes, Purdue AIAA President, and Luciano Mozzone, Purdue AIAA Outreach Chair, help two students from Edgelea Elementary School test the foam gliders they put together during STEM Night at Edgelea Elementary School.