Hundreds of Fifth Grade Students Demonstrated STEM Skills at SAE International/Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia Event
Posted on November 10th, 2016 by Patrick Sands
WARRENDALE, Pa. (Nov. 10, 2016) – Creating the most efficient and smooth-running balloon-powered vehicle was the task for 500 fifth grade students on Thursday, Nov. 10 in Atlanta during the SAE International A World In Motion (AWIM) JetToy competition, hosted by Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG).
Working in design teams, students culminated their classroom experience by building and testing model JetToy cars that they have analyzed for weeks. Throughout the competition, the students engaged in a variety of distance, accuracy and timed events.
The event was held at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta, and included students from Troup County, Ga.; Lanett, Ala.; Harris County, Ga.; Meriwether County, Ga.; Chambers County, Ga.; and Pickens County, S.C. Dozens of volunteers from KMMG made the event run smoothly.
Stuart C. Countess, KMMG’s Chief Administrative Officer, is excited for KMMG’s involvement with AWIM and SAE International.
“For our team members to have a chance to interact with students in classrooms across our region and through competitions like we are hosting today is tremendously rewarding,” said Countess. “These students are all learning so much and laying a great foundation for a very successful future.”
In the JetToy curriculum, a fictitious toy company called EarthToy Designs presents the challenge in the form of a letter. The company requests that students provide a variety of interesting designs for a new line of balloon-powered vehicles made from inexpensive, common materials that will appeal to other children. Working in design teams, students build and test model JetToys using different nozzles, and collect and analyze data to understand the effect of nozzle size on the performance of the toys. They create multiple designs and test them, then give a formal presentation of their final JetToy designs. Throughout the curriculum and during the November 10th competition, students explored the scientific concepts of jet propulsion, friction, air resistance and design.
“We are extremely grateful for the support Kia provided to this event and the AWIM curriculum,” Chris Ciuca, director of pre-professional education at SAE International, said. “Kia’s commitment to the local educational economy makes a profound impact on the students, teachers and the long-term economic development of the region. Their support provides for systemic improvement in STEM education across the region.”
AWIM is a teacher-administered, industry volunteer-assisted program that brings science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to life in the classroom for students in Kindergarten through Grade 8. Benchmarked to the national standards, the AWIM program incorporates integrated STEM learning experiences through hands-on activities that reinforce classroom STEM learning.
About SAE International
SAE International is a global association committed to being the ultimate knowledge source for the engineering profession. By uniting over 127,000 engineers and technical experts, we drive knowledge and expertise across a broad spectrum of industries. We act on two priorities: encouraging a lifetime of learning for mobility engineering professionals and setting the standards for industry engineering. We strive for a better world through the work of our philanthropic SAE Foundation, including programs like A World in Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series™.
About KMMG
Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) is the first manufacturing site in North America for Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, Korea. With an annual capacity of 360,000 units, KMMG is located on 2,200 acres in West Point, Georgia, and began mass production on Nov. 16, 2009. KMMG is home to the Sorento CUV and the Optima mid-size sedan, two of the brand’s top selling models in the U.S.
