AEDC volunteers add to Polly Crockett event in Cowan

About 20 volunteers from the Arnold Association of Professional Societies along with seven University of Tennessee Space Institute Students set up a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) booth Sept. 18 during Polly Crockett Days in Cowan. Volunteers included both Air Force and ATA engineers and scientists. One hundred forty children, ranging from pre-school to 9th grade, primarily from schools in the region, participated. Volunteers helped children design and build a straw rocket while talking about how rockets work. An engineer helped them with three launches of their straw rocket with the objective to land on a target about 27 feet away from the launcher. Students were given a certificate from AEDC saying they participated and a small gift from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). There were approximately 11 winners of the accuracy contest; all of them came within seven inches of the target center. One child actually landed the rocket in the small 2 inch diameter can in the middle of the target. “The event was a rousing success,” Tom Best, director of engineering and technical management said. “The kids were very excited about the building and competition. The engineers who participated were very effective in working with the kids and all felt very satisfied in possibly making a difference in the kids’ lives.”