Chavez Elementary, a Little Elm ISD school, made quite an impression on iFLY Dallas. Sixty of the top third, fourth and fifth grade students along with their principal John Lowman and several teachers, were chosen to attend a unique field trip to iFLY Dallas to experience the STEM education program. STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education. iFLY’s vertical wind tunnel provides the perfect environment to show students how STEM is deeply intertwined in the real world.
Since 2007, iFLY has been invested in delivering an educational program designed to ignite interest in science and math, which are critical to developing tomorrow’s technology leaders. iFLY has several educational programs designed for elementary, middle school, high school and college students. This program delivers all requirements for STEM education classes and meets state and national standards in an unconventional and exciting learning environment. The curriculum is reviewed annually by teachers and modified to ensure that it supports the learning goals for their students. iFLY offers this unique and innovative learning experience nationwide at 21 U.S locations and 50 tunnels worldwide.
All students are guided through an interactive STEM presentation, delivered by an iFLY STEM educator. Every student is trained to investigate the effects of parachute parameters on flight performance and physics in the wind tunnel based on their grade level. Students also receive flight instruction, safety training and one-on-one flying time with a certified instructor in the tunnel.
“The STEM education program uses iFLY’s wind tunnel to make STEM exciting, relevant and accessible to students,” said Shelly Jackson, sales manager for iFLY Dallas. “No matter what the age of the student, everyone learns a little more about principles of gravity and is able to apply them in the tunnel when they fly. This is a fabulous hands on experience that the students will remember for a long time and make science, technology, engineering, and math a little more fun.”
In order to make the program accessible to all students, iFLY is exploring local and national partnerships to help provide subsidies and scholarships for schools that need financial assistance to participate in these experiences. Students and teachers are encouraged to learn more about this program by contacting the local tunnel or by visiting www.iflyworld.com/education.
iFLY is the experiential entertainment company that created modern indoor skydiving and has flown more than 7 million people nationwide. iFLY’s patented vertical wind tunnel technology creates the sensation of skydiving in an indoor, safe environment by creating a cushion of air on which a person can safely float (FLY). Located in Frisco, iFLY Dallas is one of 6 Texas locations. The 50' tall vertical wind tunnel is 14' in diameter and equipped with four, 350-horsepower fans. Today, iFLY has 50 locations around the world in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia. Visit www.iFLYworld.com and follow @iFLYDallas on Instagram and Twitter or Facebook.com/iFLYDallas.