It's one thing to love flying, but it's another thing to love flying so much that you want to teach the science of flight to as many young people as possible.
This is what Anne Minder does. She's a leader with years of corporate training experience. She's also a tireless volunteer, and she's very passionate about STEM.
Anne MinderAnne Minder
She tells KNX Heroes Host Heather Jordan, "STEM is important to the world. My interest in education really crossed over when STEM education became like a worldwide initiative to educate our next tier of kids that we needed to be able to do the science, technology, engineering, and math jobs."
Minder has been a pilot for many years, and one day while looking out the window at the Torrance Airport, an idea developed, and she presented it to the Torrance Unified School District.
"I said, what if we brought the kids to Torrance Airport for a day of STEM education to provide them with hands-on experience? They said yes, absolutely." Minder recalls.
2023 STEM Day at the Airport with Sr. Director of Secondary Education Dr. Ben Egan (he supports and arranges the TUSD side of the event), Anne Minder, David Smith (Pres and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Co and partner on STEM Day), Mayor of Torrance George Chen, and Rick Bohner a lead STEM Day volunteer.Anne Minder
So Minder and her team constructed STEM classes that students from across the district are bussed in to take right inside the hangar, just inches away from the state-of-the-art aircraft. And yes, even though it sounds like a great time, it counts as a legal day of school.
STEM Day at the airportAnne Minder
The planning, the preparations, and the curriculum are all led by Minder, and she says it is a labor of love. "For me, it's fairly easy to organize because I have experience, I love science. I love seeing light bulbs go off in people's heads, and we have so many opportunities."
Everyone involved, from the engineers to the pilots and instructors, all do this on a volunteer basis, and it brings not only valuable education but joy to the youth of the community.
STEM Day at the airportAnne Minder
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