Taking Flight at EVIT — Foam Board Glider Challenge

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Curriculum and Resource Development for Aerospace Education

I designed and authored the curriculum, instructional materials, and competition framework for the Taking Flight at EVIT Foam Board Glider Challenge—a large-scale, hands-on STEM education event hosted at the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) in partnership with STEM+C, Higher Orbits, and industry and education partners.

Overview

The Taking Flight program engages students from junior high through college in a design-build-fly aerospace challenge. Participants design, construct, and test foam board gliders capable of carrying a small payload—a stuffed animal—launched from the second floor of a parking garage. Awards recognize longest flight distance, maximum hang time, and team creativity.

My Role

I led the design and development of the curriculum and implementation resources that allow schools to participate in the challenge. This included:

• Developing comprehensive teacher guides, build instructions, and safety checklists aligned with STEM and aerospace education standards.
• Creating a multi-week classroom sequence that connects physics of flight, engineering design, and teamwork.
• Writing competition rubrics, milestone timelines, and project documentation tools for classroom and event use.
• Establishing material lists, build constraints, and testing procedures to ensure safety and consistency across all teams.
• Coordinating with EVIT, STEM+C, and industry mentors to align event logistics with educational outcomes and community engagement.

Educational Design & Learning Framework

The challenge applies engineering design cycle principles and supports project-based learning through iterative prototyping, testing, and data-driven refinement. Students engage in:

• Aerodynamic analysis through paper and balsa models.
• Structural engineering and fabrication using common materials (foam board, dowels, glue, tape).
• Team-based problem solving, role assignments, and mission identity development (logos, team norms, and patches).
• Preflight inspections and design reviews following industry-style processes.

Impact

The Taking Flight program brings together hundreds of students, teachers, and families each year, providing an accessible entry point into aerospace engineering. Schools now have plug-and-play curriculum resources that allow them to integrate the challenge into classroom or extracurricular programs, fostering creativity, collaboration, and applied STEM learning.