This summer, the Air Force’s Leadership Experience Growing Apprenticeships Committed to Youth (LEGACY) program was hosted virtually for the first time in the DC Metro area. From June 21 to July 1, 2021, the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) camp inspired young students and introduced them to the kinds of skills the current and future Air Force needs.

The goal of the innovative LEGACY program is to create a STEM “ecosystem” comprised of three phases intended to get kids excited about STEM, foster that excitement throughout their education, and provide mentorship and eventually prepare them for a STEM-based career in the Air Force.

This pilot year in the DC area consisted of the first phase called the “Craftsman Camp.” Craftsman Camp is free and provides students with hands-on activities, builds self-confidence, and teaches teamwork all in a STEM-focused environment.

Amy Davenport, a fifth-grade teacher during the school year, was one of this year’s LEGACY teachers. Davenport has been involved in the LEGACY program for four and a half years. 

“LEGACY is incredibly important because this is what our future will look like in terms of technology and problem solving. The creativity and resilience necessary to successfully do these activities is what future employers will be looking for in prospective employees. The fact that Legacy is multi-year is helpful to students because we can see their growth and challenge them to continue to improve themselves throughout their time in the program.”

One activity that helped younger students learn about the basic steps of the scientific process and strengthened their problem-solving skills was building small gliders and attempting to get them to a small target on the floor. Students tested and improved their gliders, discussing the forces involved in flying such as, drag, lift, and thrust, and what changed as the glider’s design changed and variables were modified. Older students were given projects to learn the concepts of electrical circuits, explored the basics of fluid dynamics using a computer game playing a fish trying to swim upstream to catch food, and studied the importance of cybersecurity through an interactive online map of computer viruses. 

An important aspect of LEGACY is exposing students to public speaking and thinking on your feet; skills that will serve them well in situations such as job interviews when they begin their careers. One activity gave students a silly job title like “Alligator Dentist,” or “Rodeo Clown” and challenged them to convince a moderator that they were right for the job. A similar activity, but more complex for older students, had each student send in five adjectives and two occupations. Then individual students were given certain adjectives and an occupation and asked to explain how those adjective makes them good at that job.

When asked about the challenges of virtual learning, a requirement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Davenport said:

“The students were amazingly resilient and rose to the challenges of virtual learning. One of my favorite aspects was how other students were so quick to jump in and help one another with any type of support needed. We were limited as to how to execute some of the activities, but the team figured out how to implement as many activities as possible with the constraints of the virtual environment.”

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research’s Basic Research Innovation and Collaboration Center (BRICC) partnered with LEGACY by assisting in promoting the camp and handing out over 50 backpacks with all the tools and supplies LEGACY students would need.

LEGACY hopes to continue the pilot program in the DC metro area with the other two phases in the coming years. Subsequent phases provide students opportunities for internships with mentors to guide them through summer-long projects exposing them to real-world research and eventually preparing them for a STEM career after graduation.

Originally Published: August 19,2021