- Gatwick continues to invest in STEM events and local skills
- Airport gives tours, talks and opportunities to participate in aircraft challenges
- Free to register school events form part of Gatwick’s wider education strategy
LONDON, UK, 2018-Feb-08 — /Travel PR News/ — Gatwick Airport has partnered with the Gatwick Aviation Museum and the Royal Aeronautical Society to host a year-long series of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) based events for local primary schools.
In the first of the year-long series of educational ‘Cool Aeronautics’ events, taking place at the Gatwick Aviation Museum, 71 students from Southgate Primary School in Crawley were invited to attend a day of talks with pilots and Gatwick’s airfield operations staff, as well as receiving a tour of the museum and participating in a number of aircraft design challenges.
First launched in 2007, Cool Aeronautics is the Royal Aeronautical Society’s primary school outreach programme which aims to encourage STEM interest and introduce children to careers in aerospace engineering, space and the aviation industry.
The programme has continued to grow since it was first established, with more than 4,000 students participating in events in the past two years alone, across the UK and around the world.
The event partnership forms part of Gatwick Airport’s Community Engagement ‘Inform, Inspire, Invest’ education strategy, including partnerships with other STEM initiatives, such as the Big Bang Fair and Learn Live broadcasts.
The airport is also supporting the Government’s national ‘Year of Engineering 2018’ campaign, and is celebrating engineering and helping to raise its status as an aspirational career path among young people, their parents and teachers.
Gatwick Airport’s Community Engagement Manager, Paula Aldridge, said:
“Cool Aeronautics is a fantastic event to inspire children living near the airport. Investing in these types of events allows us to nurture the next generation of young people who might consider careers at Gatwick, helping us to build a pipeline of talent for the future.”
Royal Aeronautical Society’s Careers & Outreach Officer, Jonathan Axford, said:
“A love of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths often begins at primary-school age but schools do not always have the resources to get their pupils excited about the possibilities of these subjects.
“Through Cool Aeronautics and our close partnership with Gatwick Airport and the Gatwick Aviation Museum we aim to open up to children the wonderful world of STEM, as well as the incredible opportunities available in aviation and aerospace, in an interactive, entertaining and, most importantly, fun way.”
Gatwick Aviation Museum Manager, Ashley Colella, said:
“We are delighted to be partnering with the Aeronautical Society and Gatwick Airport to help inspire the next generation of aviation professionals. The museum is a great place to showcase aviation history and we look forward to delivering this programme throughout the year.”
Southgate Primary School Teacher, Mrs Noble, said:
“Year 3 had the most fantastic day! We have learnt so much about the airport and the planes that use it. We will definitely be visiting again soon, thank you.”
For more information about how schools can register for a Cool Aeronautics event at Gatwick, please contact:community@gatwickairport.com.
About London Gatwick
Gatwick Airport is the UK’s second largest airport and the most efficient single-runway airport in the world. It serves more than 228 destinations in 74 countries for 45 million passengers a year on short and long-haul point-to-point services. It is also a major economic driver for the UK contributing £5.3 billion to national GDP and generating 85,000 jobs nationally, with around 24,000 on the wider airport campus alone. The airport is south of Central London with excellent public transport links, including the Gatwick Express, and is part of the Oyster contactless payment network. Gatwick Airport is owned by a group of international investment funds, of which Global Infrastructure Partners is the largest shareholder.
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Source: Gatwick Airport