Fly Forward with OAIRE STEM

Our program is a statewide initiative designed to inspire and engage communities across Oklahoma through K-12 hands-on STEM and aerospace education. This outreach program builds awareness, fosters collaboration, and provides valuable resources for students, educators and local industries interested in aerospace careers. Through workshops, mentoring, and industry connections, this STEM program introduces young learners — especially those in underrepresented communities — to the exciting world of aerospace technology and innovation. By connecting schools, community centers, and industry leaders, this initiative helps develop the next generation of aerospace professionals while showcasing the diverse career opportunities in the field. 

Key Goals:

• Promote STEM Education: Introduce students and teachers to the exciting world of aerospace technology and innovation.
• Inspire Future Innovators: Engage with young people, especially those in underrepresented or underserved communities, to spark interest in STEM and aerospace fields.
• Build Local Networks: Connect local schools, community centers, and organizations with aerospace industry leaders, professionals and institutions.
• Provide Resources and Opportunities: Offer workshops, mentoring, and access to aerospace-related tools and resources for both students and educators.
• Highlight Aerospace Careers: Showcase the diverse career opportunities in the aerospace industry and how STEM education can lead to these exciting fields.

Collaboration/Event Ideas:

• STEM-Aerospace workshops and seminars ideas include:
  1. Host hands-on workshops that focus on aerospace technologies like drones, rockets, satellites, flight mechanics and space exploration.
  2. Provide interactive seminars for students and teachers on how STEM principles are applied in aerospace and space exploration. These could include virtual reality experiences of space missions, rocket building workshops, or coding lessons for drone programming.
• School partnerships ideas include:
  1. Partner with local schools, from elementary to high school, to integrate aerospace topics into their curriculum. This can include guest lectures, class projects, or even field trips to local aerospace companies or university labs.
  2. Develop specific educational resources, including toolkits, curriculum modules, and activities, to be used in classrooms to teach students about the intersection of STEM and aerospace.
• Collaborative projects with local industry leaders’ ideas include:
  1. Work with aerospace companies, universities with aerospace programs, and local STEM organizations to sponsor projects, internships, or mentorship programs for students. These partnerships could include NASA-related events, rocket launches, or STEM fairs.
  2. Invite aerospace professionals for “career day” visits, where students can learn about the career pathways in aerospace, from aeronautical engineering to space science and technology development.
• STEM-Aerospace fairs and competitions ideas include:
  1. Organize regional STEM and aerospace fairs where students from each county can showcase their projects. This could culminate in a grand event featuring an aerospace-themed competition with prizes such as scholarships, internships, or field trips to aerospace facilities.
  2. Encourage schools to develop and participate in competitions such as drone building, rocket launching, or coding challenges related to aerospace technology.
• Community engagement and public awareness ideas include:
  1. Use town halls, public forums and local media outlets to raise awareness about the importance of STEM and aerospace fields. This can be an opportunity to highlight how these fields can impact the community, from local economies to national security and environmental sustainability.
  2. Create a dedicated website or social media platform that tracks the initiative’s progress, showcases each county’s involvement, and shares inspiring stories from local students, teachers and professionals.
• Digital outreach ideas include:
  1. In counties that are harder to reach physically, create virtual outreach programs, including webinars, online challenges, and virtual tours of aerospace companies or space agencies.
  2. Develop an online platform where students can access free resources, such as instructional videos, coding lessons, or design challenges, to deepen their understanding of aerospace technology.
• Aerospace Ambassador program ideas include:
  1. Identify and train local STEM champions or “Aerospace Ambassadors”. These individuals could be local aerospace professionals, STEM educators, or passionate students who advocate for the importance of STEM education and work on engaging others in aerospace-focused activities.
  2. Ambassadors could organize local events, distribute resources, and mentor younger students interested in aerospace careers.
• Aerospace industry field trips ideas include:
  1. Organize trips to local aerospace facilities, airports, or space research centers to provide students and teachers with firsthand exposure to the world of aerospace.
  2. These field trips could include tours of university labs, spacecraft manufacturing plants, aerospace research labs, or collaboration centers for space exploration.