13 June 2011 - Hundreds of elementary school students introduced to the airplane manufacturing process

Hundreds of elementary school students introduced to the airplane manufacturing process

Longueuil, January 12, 2011 - Aéro Montréal, Québec’s Aerospace Cluster, today reaffirmed its commitment to school retention and unveiled a series of scientific presentations in elementary schools called “The sky is the limit!”. The presentations aim to demystify the aerospace world and promote rewarding careers in the sector among Grade 5 and 6 students attending schools in the Greater Longueuil region.

“The aerospace industry recognizes that the cause of school retention is a social responsibility shared by all players in society,” said Hélène Séguinotte, a member of Aéro Montréal’s executive committee and President and CEO of Morpho Canada, a SAFRAN Group company. “Driven by the desire to continue contributing to the well-being of the Québec population, Québec's aerospace cluster has taken action and launched a tour of “The sky is the limit!” scientific presentations.”

“To help young people build their dreams and to promote certain professional career options, the aerospace industry has decided to begin intervening as early as elementary school,” added Suzanne M. Benoît, CEO of Aéro Montréal. “Through an educational activity that is fun and geared to the elementary school level, the initiative is helping to raise awareness about science and technology careers among young people. At the same time, it is introducing them to experts from aerospace companies who are true role models for the younger generation.”

This innovative initiative has been launched in association with the Conseil du Loisir Scientifique de la région Métropolitaine (CLSM) and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Foundation Canada, with financial support from the Conférence régionale des élus de l’agglomération de Longueuil (CRÉ) and the participation of aerospace giant Pratt & Whitney Canada. It allows young people to put themselves in the shoes of an aerospace engineer during interactive sessions held in the classroom.

Working in teams, these budding engineers compete to build gliders in accordance with certain laws of physics related, among others, to aerodynamics, concepts that are inherent to the construction of an aircraft. Technicians and engineers from Pratt & Whitney Canada also participate in the classroom activities and share their career experiences with the students.