Events of the “I-maker I fly” aerospace science rural camp for junior high schools during the winter session
DATE:2021-02-26Despite the pandemic’s disturbance in 2021, the “I-maker I fly” aerospace science rural camp organized by the Air Force Academy (AFA) for over 10 years provided practical training activities at Yungan Junior High School and Nanhua Junior High School at the end of January and Dawan Junior High School in February during the winter session. As construction work was taking place at the campus of Yungan Junior High School in Kaohsiung, the school bus could only be parked on County Highway 17. Students and teachers had to carry teaching equipment and materials from the parking to each classroom. As construction was also taking place in classrooms, students divided the music classroom and activity rooms into different zones for the team to give classes. It was so sweet. Nanhua Junior High School in Nanhua District, Tainan, is small. So, we also opened the activity to pupils of Yushan Elementary School next-door. As no school lunch was supplied in the winter break, the team helped students order lunch from McDonald’s, which delivered food from Shanhua to the school by taxi. Some schoolchildren brought to the school by grandparents asked, “Is it true that we’ll have McDonald’s for lunch?” Although some schoolchildren were so little and even cried on their arrival, they turned tears into laughter in the end after trying the ornithopter and bringing home the planes they made. The team thus found a strong sense of achievement. Dawan Junior High School in Renwu District, Kaohsiung, has nearly 1,000 students. They began to ask if the AFA could arrange some classes for them a few years ago. It was not until 2021 that we finally could spare time for the school. Students were divided into three classes in the grand classroom. As the school is not far from the city, many students have a mobile. So, we specifically planned a composite mobile stand design for them. We also arranged for second hand launch glider making and a contest for them. The activity ended smoothly a few days before the Lunar New Year!