Southwest Technology Center in Altus and The Altus Air Force Base (AAFB) STEM Council partnered this week to expose over 200 6th grade students from Blair, Duke, Granite, Hollis, Mangum, Navajo, Olustee/Eldroado to the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.

Many groups from Southwest Tech and Altus Air Force Base provided activities for the students to enjoy across the SW Tech campus. The STEM Council group worked with the kids to design and build hoop gliders, check out the effects lightning has on the aircraft flown at AAFB, flew drones and played with a robot.

The 97th Medical Squadron brought many activities for the kids to enjoy. Public Health had an Entomology activity which highlighted mosquito traps and samples along with an edible activity with pudding, oreos and gummy worms to simulate “dirt cups.” They also had a simulated germ activity to show how quickly germs can spread from person to person with simple handshakes and highfives. Family Health let students experience Phlebotomy simulations and physical exam demonstrations with the AAFB Pediatrician. Bioenvironmental had water testing kits for the kids to test pH and Cl levels; Multi-Rae, O2, H2S, LEL and VOC sensors to determine when levels were high; ADM-300 radiation meter and a ventilation meter to see how high readings can go when they blew. AAFB Environmental provided Macro Invertebrates activities where students studied the insects and water quality from samples around the installation.AAFB AFE brought in flight equipment, parachutes, safety devices and MREs for the students to enjoy and learn about.

At SW Tech the Graphic Design program did a self portrait activity where students drew themselves and were then judged with the best “selfie” artwork. The Health Science program provided activities for the students to explore the human body through Virtual Reality and the Anatomage table along with CPR and First Aid demonstrations.

According to SW Tech Director Student Services, Christie Rogers, over the years thousands of youth in Southwest Oklahoma have been exposed to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math through the partnership with the AAFB STEM council and the AAFB School Liaison Officer Judy Mott.