Three Hazelwood Southeast Middle School students recently participated in the Boeing Engineering Design Challenge, held at Washington University. During the event, the students received first place in the Division 1 creative appearance contest with their glider “Air Ace.”
Eighth grade Southeast Middle students Josiah Futrell, Cohl Dodds-Arrington, and ReShawn Nettles participated in the event. Akilah Smith, teacher at Southeast Middle, and Boeing mentors and Hazelwood alumni James Thomas and Bellande Saint-Louis helped sponsor the students.
During the event, 70 teams of nearly 240 students from public and private schools across the St. Louis metro region gathered to test their design. The program, now in its ninth year, challenges students to design and construct a glider out of balsa wood with the help of supplies and a mentor provided by the Boeing Company.
However, the challenge goes far beyond simply building a glider. Over the course of six months, the gliders undergo design and technical readiness reviews. The students must also give a presentation of their design before a panel of Boeing engineers.
