Photo By Patrick Griffith | Local high school students gather to listen to closing remarks by Treniece Terry,...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. – More than 250 students from eight Maryland high schools attended the Seventh Annual Aerospace Summit at Joint Base Andrews on March 4, 2025, featuring exhibits and demonstrations in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.
Students engaged in drone operations, virtual reality simulations, medical procedures, and chemical warfare identification. Military personnel from the 113th Wing, 316th Medical Group, 317th Recruiting Squadron, and Defense Threat Reduction Agency answered questions about military careers, and attendees also explored a UH-1N Huey from the 1st Helicopter Squadron and heavy equipment from the 316th Civil Engineer Squadron.
Aiden Myers, a Navy Junior ROTC cadet and Suitland High School senior, was impressed by the exhibits.
“I was really interested in the one with the hospital corpsmen,” he said, referring to a demonstration by the 316th MDG. “I’m CPR certified, but the last time I did it was June 2024, so it was a good refresher.”
Myers has been in Junior ROTC all four years of high school and plans to pursue a Navy commission.
For DuVal High School students, the Aerospace Summit was also a culmination of class contest. Leading up to the event, they researched aviation careers and created posters, which were then displayed at the summit. They then made presentations where they were judged by three military personnel and two civilians with STEM backgrounds.
“Our students were asked to dig into a career field focused on aerospace or aviation and related career fields,” said Michael Orcutt, an instructor in DuVal’s aerospace and aviation program. “They developed a report about where the career field is going, where it where it's been, and jobs that are available in that particular career field.”
DTRA hosted an “escape room” featuring chemistry, radiology, and bioscience activities, along with sessions about the agency’s mission.
“It’s inspiring to see students excited about science and technology,” said Treniece Terry, DTRA technical program manager. “We had people on the research and development side speak about the science that supports aviation and the warfighters, and our role was to make that connection with the students.”
The summit, launched in 2018 to introduce students to aviation careers, has welcomed more than 2,300 participants over the years, said Kristofer L. Zimmerman, 316th Wing community planning liaison. JB Andrews partners for the event with the Patriots Technology Training Center, a nonprofit organization based in Capitol Heights that introduces students from fifth to 12th grade in STEM careers.
The installation's next STEM event is set for Sept. 12, 2025, which is just one day prior to the 2025 air show for the National Captial Region. Zimmerman said there will be 70 exhibitors within two hangars, and he anticipates more than 20,000 students attending.
| Date Taken: | 03.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.13.2025 09:47 |
| Story ID: | 492614 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 28 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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