2010
Artwork by Rouch
presents a collaborative effort with
AIAA
Artwork by Rouch co-sponsored a Sunday afternoon engineering/art-focus project with the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Kids Club, coordinator Sara Falconer, PreCollege Outreach Officer. The Kids Club provides a science approach program geared between the ages 7 to 12 to promote and encourage kids in the area of math and science. The program is held once a month between Oct to Apr offering hands-on orientation training with local astronomers, engineers, and scientists to conduct experiments in math, building and launching rockets, delta dart airplanes, DNA studies, aviation art, electricity, solar astronomy, and more. The sessions are held at the University of Arizona campus in the Kuiper Space Sciences, Lunar Planetarium Laboratory (LPL) building. Ms. Falconer achieves First Place year after year in the Harry Staubs Precollege Outreach Award by providing quality educational resources for kids K-12 in the area of mathematics, science, and technology. Michelle Rouch is happy to be a part of her success.
On 11 Apr 2010 Artwork by Rouch collaborated with AIAA Kids Club and successfully conducted the Third Annual Engineering/Art Project. Twenty-four (24) kids attended and were organized into 6 teams to compete in a mini-Engineering Acquisition Art Project. Artwork by Rouch developed, designed, and orchestrated the same 3 hour program, but fine tuned the project by assigning roles and responsibilities to a Program Manager on each team. The Program Manager has a duty to choose a Chief Engineer and ensure that all the project requirements were met. Another important task was for the Program Manager to communicate to the customer why their design is the best and why the team should be awarded first place. Requirements creep also played an interesting feature that the kids managed to meet.
The kids were energized and had a blast. All the teams were given the same set of requirements, materials, and schedule constraints in designing an artistic representation of the Four Forces of Flight. The Program Managers and Chief Engineers asked interesting questions and made good decisions. Each team had an adult for assistance, but the kids pulled it all together and took charge. They executed the project with an amazing ease and were able to meet and exceed Michelle Rouchs’ expectations.
Year after year this project proves to be successful. Michelle Rouch’s goal for this project is to teach team collaboration methodologies, critical thinking, and the development of better communication skills.
To read more about AIAA in Tucson, please https://info.aiaa.org/Regions/Western/Tucson/default.aspx.
