Going the Extra Mile!

The Extra Mile Club from Fairfield Elementary School went to Boeing in North Charleston, SC on Tuesday March 26, 2019. The students were very excited because they knew that there would be interactions with how Boeing airplanes were being created. Global Engagement Education Relations Specialist, Mr. Frank Hatton greeted us upon arriving on campus. We went inside the building on a service elevator, which students were amazed to see. When we arrived on the fifth floor of the building, we saw three model airplane that were detailed. The kids stood over the airplanes and admired them. We went into the seating area to observe information about the company. The students were intrigued and wanted to know more. I was proud of the way that they were asking questions. After the two presentations, the students were allowed to stand at the window and see the actual process of how these airplanes were made. While admiring the visuals, the students went to see various aspects of the airplanes, such as the material used to create them, the sizes of the windows, and how fast they can go in air. The students were split into three teams and given budgets to create their own airplanes. All three teams had various jobs, such as the mechanic who built the airplane, the financier who was responsible for the budget, the materials manager who was responsible for gathering the materials, and lastly, the pilot who flew the airplane. The students worked together to get their airplanes built and made sure that they stayed within their budgets. After the airplanes were built, all three teams took their chances to win prizes from the company. Team One and Team Three tied and had to have a “sail” off. Team One was the victors and took pride in winning first place in the airplane competition. The students learned responsibility and teamwork by building an effective airplane and working together to get it done. Not only that but they had fun, which is the best part of learning.