Students throwing paper airplanes in the classroom is usually frowned upon. However, schools are clamoring to have their students do just that as part of Boeing South Carolina’s DreamLearners program. What better way to provide a rich engineering experience for students than to participate this program! Forty-nine Lake View High School students, teachers, and community members were hosted by Dillon County native Will Hawkins on April 13, 2016 at the Boeing South Carolina twin-aisle airplane production facility in North Charleston, SC. This experience generated interest, curiosity, and motivation towards moving into the direction of producing students who will not only be able to succeed in an ever-changing technological society, but contribute to it, as well. The DreamLearners program placed an emphasis on allowing the students to participate in a hands-on exercise which simulated the work that occurs at the Boeing facility in North Charleston. Included in the activities was an introduction on the aerodynamics and flight that enables the 787 Dreamliner airplane program to take flight, a visual tour of the 787 manufacturing processes, and an Airplane Building Competition activity in which students designed, built, and flew airplanes. Students executed this activity on the Final Assembly Building Tour Balcony from the vantage point of overlooking the Dreamliner being assembled on the production floor below. For many students, this is the closest they have ever been to a large commercial jetliner. The purpose of the Boeing DreamLearners program is for students and teachers to implement a cross functional production activity, to provide a hands-on learning experience, and to help them understand the components of the manufacturing, business, and engineering fields coming together. The program provides a personally meaningful and relevant real-world experience to enhance student and teacher awareness of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This experience provided a high quality exercise like no other that students have ever experienced through experiential learning and exposure to business and industry. The program is designed to inspire the next generation of Boeing South Carolina teammates.
The DreamLearners airplane building activity covered the science and mathematics of airplane design for approved, grade-appropriate academic standards. Participation in this program will also provide follow-up support for speaker engagement opportunities in which Boeing teammates will come on-site to LVHS. Since participating in the program, students will then design Learning Project PowerPoint presentations Boeing experience at the Center of Excellence Summer Institute at Francis Marion University in June, 2016. LVHS students are also able to use Boeing’s online airplane tracking website in which students can track live airplane flights all over the world. This experience enhances and supports Dillon School District Four’s initiative in implementing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program.
The goal of the STEM initiative at LVHS is to prepare educators and students in understanding and implementing engineering practices as identified in national and state standards. With the support of a grant from The Center of Excellence at Francis Marion University, Dillon County Council, and private citizens, Lake View High School was able to purchase numerous engineering kits in order for students to design and test aerodynamic projects in accordance with the school’s STEM initiative.
