March Air & Space Expo: STEM Exhibit Published April 7, 2018 By Master Sgt. Dachelle Melville March Air Reserve Base, Calif. -- MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. – The March Field Air & Space Expo is featuring a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) area this year. Students from two local schools set up booths to showcase their robotics clubs during the show on March Air Reserve Base, California, April 7-8, 2018. These booths provide hands on STEM activities for the people at the airshow. The two schools, Downey High School from Downey, California and Western Center Academy from Hemet, California brought a variety of robots the students built to demonstrate and allow the air show spectators to take control of the robots. Downey High School also brought projects for all of the children attending the air show to build, a foam airplane or a paper rocket that you can test right at the airshow. The students in the booths are part of a competitive club that challenges their robotics skills by presenting a new challenge each year said Deanna Pena, a team mentor and mother to one of the Western Center Academy teams. They have to learn so much more than just building a robot to win the challenge. They learn about public speaking to promote their team, team building and communication skills, in addition to other skills that will allow them to be successful in their future careers. It may seem odd to have high school robotics teams at an air show, but STEM is a very important aspect of education to the Air Force. “STEM programs are a vital part in the development of future Airmen,” said Col. Shane Lohman, vice commander of the 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March ARB. “The skills and knowledge they learn today will contribute to the continued air and space superiority of the U.S. Air Force.”