SAGAMIHARA FAMILY HOUSING AREA, Japan – Students at Arnn Elementary here were able to see up close a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter, a feat of engineering and the “E” in an event that celebrated science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM.
U.S. Army Aviation Battalion Japan crew flew the Black Hawk from Kastner Army Heliport on Camp Zama and landed it on Arnn’s sports field May 17 to showcase the aircraft for the students as part of their daylong learning event.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jacob Schmidt, assigned to USAABJ, said his unit partnered with Arnn to bring the Black Hawk to the school so the students could have the opportunity to see an example of how STEM works in real life.
“This was a good opportunity for the students to ask questions and get some hands-on experience to see and learn about what some of the parents in the community do,” Schmidt said.
The students were very enthusiastic about the helicopter, asking in-depth questions about the aircraft, Schmidt said. He lauded the students for their curiosity and said he enjoyed fielding their questions.
“I hope this event helped the students be more excited and passionate about trying to do something in the STEM field,” Schmidt said, “and that it reassured them that they are going to be able to understand more complex systems and theories by starting with basic knowledge.”
Dana Taylor, a third grader at Arnn, got to sit in the helicopter’s cockpit and described it as “pretty awesome,” adding that it gave her the feeling of what it would be like if she became a pilot.
When Navaro Weston, also a third grader, got to meet pilots and crewmembers of the Black Hawk, one of his first questions to them was how fast it could go. He also said that before seeing it up close, he never knew the helicopter had two pilot’s seats.
“The event was pretty cool,” Navaro said. “I have never seen a helicopter this big; it was bigger than I thought.”
Julie Curtis, a preschool teacher at Arnn and the person who coordinated with the aviation battalion, said she could tell the students were very excited for the chance to see the Black Hawk, lauding it as a beneficial learning experience.
“The event went really well and gave the students the opportunity to see that what they are leaning in the classroom every day really applies to life skills [as adults,]” Curtis said.
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