STEM soars: London City Airport’s Eighth annual STEM in Aviation inspires 500 students
STEM soars: London City Airport’s Eighth annual STEM in Aviation inspires 500 students
By ELBA’s Zaina Ali
Back and bigger than ever, STEM in Aviation returned for its 8th year running. The flagship programme for London City Airport (LCY), with support from ELBA, welcomed over 500 students from 24 local schools to the Excel London for a day focusing on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and ‘Future of Flight.’
The day commenced with a welcome from London City Airport’s Michael Kissman, Director of Corporate Affairs, followed by seven engaging business insight sessions. These sessions demonstrated the application of STEM principles in various roles, offering students interactive learning experiences and introducing them to future jobs, apprenticeship and graduate opportunities.
Students were tasked to produce a business pitch for the ‘Future of Flight’, proposing sustainable solutions to modern aviation at London City Airport. This challenge allowed students to develop essential transferable skills aligned with the Skills Builder framework. The groups who produced the most creative and innovative presentations were invited to present their ideas to a panel of esteemed judges in the final. The panel included:
- ELBA CEO Julie Hutchinson
- Suzanne Kara, Director of Customer Operations, London City Airport.
- James Asser MP for West Ham and Beckton
- Ola Adigun, Stakeholder Engagement, Department for Transport
- Daniele Sansone, Regional Director Airline Marketing, Embraer
Congratulations to Waltham Forest’s Willowfield School, who were the winning school. And runners up Sarah Bonnell School, Newham.
Students thoroughly enjoyed themselves, feeding back positive comments after the event:
“It was certainly a very entertaining event, and I’m very grateful to be here today. Thank You”
“I loved this experience!”
“I really enjoyed the airport learning event for teens. It was well-organized, interesting, and gave me a clear look at how airports work behind the scenes. The staff were helpful, and the activities made everything easy to understand. It was inspiring and very informative.”
New resources
STEM education is vital for developing skills essential for navigating the complexities of the modern, technological-driven world. This is why we are excited to announce the launch of London City Airport’s STEM in Aviation Online Resources, a brand-new collection of curriculum-aligned, interactive lesson plans designed to bring real-world aviation challenges straight into your classroom.
Developed with the support of aviation experts and former STEM teachers, these engaging resources make STEM learning exciting and relevant, inspiring the next generation of aviators, engineers, and innovators.
What’s included:
- Curriculum aligned lesson plans covering key STEM topics
- Real-world case studies from aviation professionals and companies
- Interactive activities and problem-solving challenges for learners
You can explore and download all the resources on the London City Airport website.
Thank you to Excel London for hosting, and London City Airport for continuing this incredible initiative for the students’ of east London. Sincere thanks are also extended to the dedicated volunteers from supporting companies: British Airways City Flyer, UK Power Networks Services, NATS, Boeing, Embraer, University of East London and Accenture.
To stay up to date with the latest news, opportunities and success stories, please sign up to receive our monthly newsletter, here.
