Panthers take flight

SANDUSKY — The fifth-grade Panthers raced across the gym but not by foot. As an educational STEM activity — a term referring to the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics — Sandusky Central Catholic School students participated in The Hovercraft Project in which they were: • Asked to build a hovercraft • Test its ability to travel a distance • Take part in a competition to see whose craft went the farthest Before students could start gliding, they had to build their crafts. They took a leafblower, a circular platform and a large piece of house wrap. They put the pieces together to create a pillow of air and a motor to propel the craft. Next it was onto the testing rounds. Teams designated different people as pilots and pushers for each round as they collected data and tried to figure out how they could make their crafts go as far as possible. Finally, it was time to put their collected data to use as they went into the hovercraft competition. Each team went head-to-head to see who could make their craft go the furthest as they fought for the ultimate prize — slap bracelets. Before starting, they had to review the data they collected during the testing rounds to decide how they wanted their craft to look, a loose or tight paper "skirt," and how many pushers they wanted to have. After each round, the minimum distance the teams were required to go increased until eventually all but two teams were eliminated for not passing the line. The two teams went into the final round with their best pusher and their best pilot, but in a sudden twist of the game, the pilots and pushers had to switch roles. Eventually, a winning team was named, and the gym erupted with cheers. Meara Kromer, a member of the winning team, said it felt good to win. She said her classmates have been working hard in class, so it was nice to have fun. "My favorite part was probably getting to ride on them because I've never been on a hovercraft before," Kromer said. Kromer said she knows what STEM is and might want to do something related to the field when she grows up. Her top picks right now are cosmetology or science. Along with STEM, the fifth-grade students were also taught character lessons. "We learned how to not let people take away your value and how to learn from your failures," Kromer said. Throughout the project, event leaders reminded the students that it was okay to fall off the hovercraft or not go as far as they wanted to because they could learn from that and do better the next time. The Hovercraft Project The event was hosted by The Hovercraft Project. Jenni and Matthew Chase, founders of the project, visited Sandusky Central Catholic School to help put on the project. "Kids work best in project-based environments, but they can't do that inside the context of a normal classroom," Jenni said. With this thought and Matthew's experience as a teacher, the family started The Hovercraft Project. This program annually visits more than 100 schools across the country as a way to expose students to a fully immersive STEM experience. More information on the project is available on its website. This was the first time the school has participated in the project, and it went fantastically, according to physical education teacher Abby Gerber. The project began with students deciding who would take on what role, according to Gerber. They worked together as a team to figure out what they needed to do to build their hovercrafts. The project was a great way for students to learn the factors of STEM - science, technology, engineering and math - and combine them with teamwork, leadership, strategy and problem-solving, according to Gerber. "We thought it would be a great opportunity to include STEM in our program," Gerber said. "It's something memorable for the students. Hopefully, we can do it again next year and years beyond."