FIA2018: Boeing donates $5m to launch STEM initiative
Boeing announced at the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) that it is investing $5 million in Newton Europe to launch Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)-focused 'Newton Rooms' across nine European countries, including the UK.
Pioneered by non-profit organisation FIRST Scandinavia, Newton Rooms are themed, state-of-the-art classrooms focused on experiential learning. Boeing's multi-year investment will establish Newton Rooms in the United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Poland and Sweden.
"Newton's proven teaching methods and immersive, hands-on educational environments will help excite future innovators to pursue careers in STEM fields—many of which can be found at Boeing," said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing chairman, president and CEO. "In addition to our financial investment, Boeing teammates here in the UK and throughout Europe will continue to volunteer their time and talents to help create innovative and engaging learning opportunities for students."
The investment will fund several Newton Room concepts to deliver high-quality experiential STEM education to primary and secondary school students in Europe:
Boeing Newton Flight Academy: A permanent classroom used to teach students aviation-related STEM concepts, reinforced with full-motion flight simulators manufactured in Spain.
Boeing Newton Rooms: A themed, state-of-the-art permanent classroom focused on experiential learning. Potential themes include space, biofuels and advanced materials and manufacturing.
Boeing Pop-Up Newton Rooms: A portable package of flight simulator panels and classroom materials used to create a temporary Newton Room in virtually any suitable existing space.
Since 2013, Boeing has helped establish these three Newton concepts, with one of each in Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands. Non-profit organization FIRST Scandinavia successfully operates an additional 40 Newton Rooms in Norway.
Boeing's investment will also fund a comprehensive suite of learning resources and materials, enabling teachers to incorporate the Newton experience into their core educational curriculum. All materials are free for both teachers and students.