Team members from Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Lakehurst engaged nearly 2,500 families during the annual Kids Week event at the Intrepid Museum in New York City, held from Feb. 13-16. 

The Lakehurst activity encouraged children to construct paper airplanes using a variety of printed templates. With the team’s guidance, the children attached an "engine" made from a jumbo straw and a foam earplug taped to one end. After personalizing their creations with stickers, the children tested their designs by launching the planes across the deck toward a target using an air compressor. 

The team from Lakehurst included E-2D logistics management specialist Albert Martin, data manager Annmarie Holler, Aviation Data Management and Control System cybersecurity engineer Diogo Cardoso, V-22 logistics management specialist Dominic Fargo, site operations environmental lead Julia Kuzan, and hydraulics Deputy Assistant Program Manager for Logistics Lauren Youngblood.  

Throughout the activity, the team encouraged critical thinking by asking questions such as, "What part of the plane makes it glide through the air?” and "Why do we put an earplug on one end of the straw?” These questions helped the children understand the engineering concepts behind each step of the process. 

"The highlight of the weekend was not just building the planes or the kids' excitement with launching them, it was the modifications they came up with to see how fast and how far they could go,” Martin said. 

The team emphasized the importance of combining fun with learning, ensuring the children understood the engineering principles behind the activity. 

"Events like this allow us to inspire young kids to be passionate about STEM and remind me how passionate I am about STEM,” Kuzan added. 

For team members like Cardoso, this was not their first time attending the event, and they were excited to be back on the historic ship.  

“It gives us a chance to talk to the public about who we are, while simultaneously engaging in STEM activities with the kids. It's a great and rewarding feeling when they accomplish the activity on their own and learn Naval aviation concepts they might not have known before!" 

Holler recalled a particularly meaningful moment when a young visitor mentioned they had participated in the same activity the previous year. 

“I was really taken by that. Moments like that emphasize the importance of participating in outreach programs, to be a spark for a student to want to learn more and try new things. It’s exciting to be a part of that experience," Holler said. 

To further engage visitors, the team showcased clips from “Top Gun: Maverick” featuring Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment and Support Equipment developed by NAVAIR. This display helped explain their work to people who asked questions about NAVAIR's mission. 

Beyond working with the children, team members said they enjoyed meeting other attendees, including engineers from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, members of the United States Air Force Thunderbirds maintenance crew, and a parent whose father had worked on blimps at Lakehurst decades ago. These interactions allowed the team to connect with individuals familiar with Lakehurst’s mission while introducing it to others eager to learn more. 

The Lakehurst team expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the event. Events like STEM Kids Week provide a platform to share Lakehurst’s mission and engage with the community. Many visitors expressed interest in internships, job opportunities, and other outreach events. 

The Kids Week event is just one of several examples of NAWCAD Lakehurst working with local school districts to increase student interest in STEM careers, including the STARBASE program, Camp Invention, Kids Week at the USS Intrepid, and the SeaPerch regional competition.