Articles

DoDEA Pacific awards 36 CES the 2014 Military Unit Excellence award

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Cierra Presentado
  • 36th Wing Public Affairs
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam --  The 36th Civil Engineer Squadron recently received the Department of Defense Education Activity Pacific Volunteer Excellence Award for their service and support to Andersen Middle School.

Joseph Vinch, 36th CES deputy base engineer, helped his squadron earn the award by providing Andersen Middle School students with countless opportunities that allowed them to interact with science, technology, engineering, arts and math professionals also known as the STEAM program. As a board of directors member for the local chapter of the Society of American Military Engineers,Vinch established a partnership that supported the Andersen schools during career day, engineeringweek and the science fair.

"Under the mentoring and guidance of Joseph Vinch, Andersen Airmen have established anexceptional educational outreach program," said Dr. Steven Bloom, DoDEA Guam District Superintendent. "His efforts to promote STEAM is commendable and has enabled our students to seethe connections of mathematical and science concepts to real-world applications."

The STEAM program allows the schools to link up with subject matter experts in CE to work on solving real world problems and conducting fun and interactive learning experiments with the children.

"When we run this program with the children of Andersen, it's fantastic to see the gears turning in their minds," Vinch said. "Once they understand the basics, they are unstoppable with unlimited enthusiasm and new ideas."

One of the many topics Vinch brings to the students is "Flight of a Kite," which is a presentation that is geared towards instilling the ability to understand that each student is an engineer. During the presentation, civil engineers help provide students with a better understanding of the engineering design process and how ecology and recycling benefits their futures.

"With 'Flight of a kite', I go over the basics like gravity, thrust and drag. I explain how wings and kites are used, and then give a simple lesson on how to build kites out of simple materials," Vinch said.

The STEAM program has proven to teach the students and give them a broader understanding of all areas of engineering. The program will continue to run at Andersen Middle school and Vinch hopes to continue to make a difference in the children's lives.

"I am trying to inspire the next generation of engineers, mathematicians and scientists; they are the future," Vinch said.