By Jennifer Staretorp

ANN received a personal tour of KidVenture, a section of the Experimental Aircraft Association's (EAA) AirVenture, by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) National Aviation and Space Education Program Manager, James Brough.

KidVenture is an educational program for children that teaches them all about aviation and flying, as well as many technical skills. Although the KidVenture program has been in existence for almost 12 years, the educational component was not emphasized until about four years ago. KidVenture is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) based program. Upon entering the hangar of KidVenture, the children have a choice of two circuits to complete. The 'outer circuit' takes children through the process of building and designing aircraft and aircraft parts.

They have the opportunity to learn how to rivet, design and race an aircraft on a computer, shape a propeller, build a wing fret, and trouble shoot the electric circuit of an aircraft. On the 'inner circuit' children receive a Student Workbook to use when going through nine stations of various activities. The stations include regulations, weather, navigation, human factors, aircraft design, air traffic control, pre-flight, flight lesson and post-flight. In the end, the kids leave with a certificate of completion, the parts that they built, and memories that will last a lifetime.

In an effort to continue the education after the children have left KidVenture, the FAA Saety Team (FAAST) has launched a new website dedicated to those who attended KidVenture, as well as those children who are interested in getting involved. www.FAASTeamYouth.org provides information on aviation, aviation careers, as well as how to get involved in different activities and organization.

Sponsors of KidVenture inclue: the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), Aeronautical Proficiency Training LLC, KidVenture, FAA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Aviation Supplies and Academics (ASA), Sigtronics, and many more.

FMI: www.eaa.org, www.faa.gov, www.faasteamyouth.org