NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIVISION, CHINA LAKE, Calif. - Scientists, engineers and technicians from the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division reached out to more than 1,200 students at Sherman E. Burroughs High School (BHS) on April 5 during a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Showcase with seven hands-on demonstrations designed to spark their interest in STEM careers.

“This is an awesome opportunity to influence the younger generation by not only showing them what we do, but what they can do in the future,” said Stephen Farmer, an electrical engineer and a division head in the NAWCWD Weapons and Energetics Department (4.7). “It’s important to invest in other peoples’ lives especially the younger generation.”

In one of the interactive NAWCWD demonstrations, Ron Cram, Kyle Donohue, Matt Garcia, Anthony Gonzalez and Shaun Hull used video representation to explain how the Sidewinder missile system sees its target.

“What I want them to realize is that what they are learning in school may seem dull or boring now, but that knowledge can really open up a lot of doors in a lot of ways,” said Hull, an engineering technician in the NAWCWD Pathways program.

“We try to transmit our excitement for what we do to the students,” Cram said. “I want to get the kids to imagine, to want more, to do more, to strive and excel.”

Kyle Blades, Alyssa Day, Tanner Hannon, Brian Kajiwara and Bill Kirkpatrick showed the students how the Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared Targeting Pod for the F/A-18 works.

Hannon, a 2012 BHS graduate, is currently pursuing an engineering degree at Cerro Coso Community College and working part-time as an engineering aide in the Pathways program at NAWCWD. He said the STEM Showcase and other events on the base influenced his goal to be a military pilot, and now he wants to set a positive example for students.

“I loved these kinds of events and I want other kids to feel how I did,” Hannon said. “I don’t want them to settle; I want them to know that they can actually do something cool.”

Dr. Lawrence Baldwin, Dr. Lee Cambrea, Dr. Matt Davis, Dr. Ben Harvey and Dr. Heather Meylemans gave a variety of chemistry demonstrations including flash paper that burns without smoke, nano-particles made of iron that react to a magnet, and a Rubens Tube to visualize sound waves using flames.

“I hope they all want to become chemists,” Cambrea said.

Adam Curry and Chris Hoskins had students jumping up and down during their demonstration. They incorporated science, technology, engineering and math into an experiment that calculated how high students jumped by measuring how long they were off the floor.

“To me, science was the coolest thing you could possibly do,” said Hoskins, a computer scientist. “Some people get turned off by how science is presented but for the most part it is a lot of fun.”

Christina Carter, a BHS senior, said she had fun with the chemistry and gravity demonstrations during the STEM showcase.

“It’s a cool way to look at things that we learn in school,” Carter said. “[The NAWCWD employees] are really interactive and I like that.”

Nick Hageman, James LeJeune, Greg Kapeles and Samantha Matthews led the “Go with the Flow” demonstration. This is the first year volunteering for Matthews, a materials engineer in 4.7 who explained air flow principles to the students.

“When I was in high school, we never had an opportunity like this,” Matthews said. “It’s important to get kids excited about science early and hopefully encourage them to see it as a possible career.”

Gary Beckstrom and Trent Trepanier put on an electromagnetic energy, light and luminescence show for the students.

About 80 Gateway to Technology students from Monroe and Murray Middle Schools also attended the showcase.

Sydney Marler, a seventh-grade Gateway to Technology student at Murray Middle School, wants to be an astrophysicist. This is not her first STEM event; she has participated in the robotics programs in elementary school, the Expanding Your Horizons conference, and Summer Science Camps held at NAWCWD.

“I really want to know more about the world and science fits into that so well,” Marler said. “It’s really cool that [the NAWCWD employees] get a chance to educate the public about this stuff. Getting to see what they do is inspiring.”

Ed Cornell, Thomas Fulenwider and Aaron Scott used straw rockets to explain rocketry concepts.

“I didn’t know what engineering was as a kid,” said Scott, a mechanical engineer in his third year volunteering at the STEM Showcase. “I hope that they do at the end of the day. I want them to know that they have options and they can do something that they enjoy.”

After participating in the straw rockets demonstration, ninth-grader David Aranda said he will probably make some more rockets at home.

“It’s actually really cool and interesting,” he said. “We really appreciate [the NAWCWD employees] coming here.”

Melanie Branson, a biology, earth science and AVID class teacher at BHS, has participated in the last six showcases. She said these types of events are becoming even more important because new science standards are expected to include more math, technology and engineering.

“This is a great way to get our students to see how the things they learn in the classroom can be applied in the real world,” Branson said. “It’s fantastic that [they NAWCWD employees] can come and share their excitement because it bubbles over into the students. And, it’s a good way for teachers to get new ideas too.”