Sky’s the Limit: Aviation Discovery for Girls
Sky’s the Limit: Aviation Discovery for Girls
Who should attend?
Girls aged 8-16 with an interest in aviation, STEM, or exploring career possibilities.
• Introduce the basics of aviation, including the principles of flight and aircraft components.
• Provide hands-on experiences to deepen understanding and make learning fun.
• Highlight women in aviation to inspire and motivate participants to consider aviation as a future career.
• Provide hands-on experiences to deepen understanding and make learning fun.
• Highlight women in aviation to inspire and motivate participants to consider aviation as a future career.
Workshop Goals:
Duration: 3.5 hours
Workshop Agenda:
15 minutes
Welcome & Icebreaker
Objective: Create a comfortable, engaging environment for participants to get to know each other and the workshop leader.
Activity: Instructor introduces the workshop and shares the importance of aviation.
Icebreaker Game: “Why Aviation?” – Each girl introduces herself and shares something she’s curious about in aviation, whether it’s flying, how planes are built, or something she’s seen at an airport.
Activity: Instructor introduces the workshop and shares the importance of aviation.
Icebreaker Game: “Why Aviation?” – Each girl introduces herself and shares something she’s curious about in aviation, whether it’s flying, how planes are built, or something she’s seen at an airport.
30 minutes
The Basics of Flight
Objective: Introduce the science behind how planes fly and the key components of an airplane.
Topics Covered:
• What makes a plane fly? (Lift, thrust, drag, and gravity).
• How pilots control a plane: ailerons, elevators, rudders.
• Major parts of an airplane (fuselage, wings, engine, cockpit).
Hands-On Activity: Paper Airplane Challenge - Girls will design and make their own paper airplanes. Then, test how different designs fly based on what they’ve learned about lift and drag. Discuss why some designs flew farther or better than others.
Topics Covered:
• What makes a plane fly? (Lift, thrust, drag, and gravity).
• How pilots control a plane: ailerons, elevators, rudders.
• Major parts of an airplane (fuselage, wings, engine, cockpit).
Hands-On Activity: Paper Airplane Challenge - Girls will design and make their own paper airplanes. Then, test how different designs fly based on what they’ve learned about lift and drag. Discuss why some designs flew farther or better than others.
25 minutes
Women in Aviation: History & Inspiration
Objective: Introduce inspiring women who have shaped aviation and highlight their contributions to the industry.
Topics Covered:
• Pioneers like Amelia Earhart, Bessie Coleman, and modern women in aviation.
• Discuss career paths for women in aviation (pilot, air traffic control, aerospace engineering).
Activity: Role Model Stories: Show short videos or images of female pilots, engineers, and astronauts.
Discussion: Ask girls what they found inspiring or surprising about these women. What did they learn about the possibilities in aviation?
Topics Covered:
• Pioneers like Amelia Earhart, Bessie Coleman, and modern women in aviation.
• Discuss career paths for women in aviation (pilot, air traffic control, aerospace engineering).
Activity: Role Model Stories: Show short videos or images of female pilots, engineers, and astronauts.
Discussion: Ask girls what they found inspiring or surprising about these women. What did they learn about the possibilities in aviation?
45 minutes
Flight Simulator Experience
Objective: Provide hands-on experience to simulate flying an aircraft and make the principles of flight come to life.
Activity:
Activity:
- Flight Simulation (if available): Let girls try basic flying maneuvers like takeoff, turning, and landing using a computer flight simulator.
- If no simulator available: Use online flight simulation apps (like Microsoft Flight Simulator or Flight Pilot Simulator on mobile). Guide them through how to control altitude, direction, and speed.
45 minutes
Build Your Own Glider
Objective: Teach the practical aspects of aircraft design through hands-on building of gliders.
Activity:
Discussion: What worked well for their gliders? What didn’t? How did changing the wing angle or adding weight affect flight?
Activity:
- Balsa Wood Glider Construction: Provide simple balsa wood glider kits. Each girl assembles her own glider, learning about how wings, stabilizers, and fuselage work together to make the glider fly.
- Flight Testing: After building, take the girls outside (or in a large indoor space) to test their gliders. Have them adjust wings and weight to improve flight distance.
Discussion: What worked well for their gliders? What didn’t? How did changing the wing angle or adding weight affect flight?
30 minutes
Aviation Careers & Q&A
Objective: Provide insight into the wide range of aviation careers and inspire girls to pursue their interest in the field.
Topics Covered:
Activity:
Q&A Session: Open up the floor for questions about aviation careers, education, and what excites them about the field.
Topics Covered:
- Overview of careers: pilot, air traffic control, aerospace engineering, aviation maintenance, drone operator, airport operations.
- Educational pathways: flight school, engineering degrees, military aviation training.
Activity:
- Interactive Career Stations: Set up small “career stations” around the room, where each station highlights a different aviation career. At each station, have a short activity or task related to that career:
- Pilot Station: Girls can practice using maps to plot a simple flight route.
- Engineer Station: Build a basic model using LEGOs or foam blocks to simulate aircraft design.
- Air Traffic Control Station: Practice directing planes using a simple air traffic simulator app or an airport layout map.
Q&A Session: Open up the floor for questions about aviation careers, education, and what excites them about the field.
20 minutes
Closing & Certificates
Objective: End the workshop on a positive, celebratory note.
Activity:
Certificates: Hand out “Junior Aviator” certificates to each girl, celebrating their participation in the workshop.
Take a group photo to mark the occasion.
Activity:
- Recap the key takeaways from the workshop.
- Announce future aviation-related events, camps, or resources for further exploration.
Certificates: Hand out “Junior Aviator” certificates to each girl, celebrating their participation in the workshop.
Take a group photo to mark the occasion.
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