Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Sikorsky Announces 5th Year of Helicopter 2050 Challenge

  • 06/01/15

Kids to Create the Helicopter of the Future in Scholarship Competition

Stratford, Ct. – Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., has launched the 5th annual Sikorsky Helicopter 2050 Program and Challenge, which asks children, ages 9-16, to create an eco-friendly helicopter of the future that addresses potential challenges of 2050.

The national competition kicked off June 1 and will run until October 15, 2015. The winner of the 2015 competition will receive the Igor Sikorsky Youth Innovator Award and a $1,000 scholarship. In addition, the young innovator will be flown to Sikorsky’s headquarters in Stratford, Connecticut, to tour the assembly lines of the iconic BLACK HAWK and SEAHAWK® military helicopters and meet with Sikorsky rotorcraft engineers.

“Our goal is to challenge kids to think about the future and how they can use their science and math skills to make a positive change in the world,” said Judith Bankowski, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Sikorsky Aircraft. “We understand how important it is to develop students’ skills and confidence in these subjects and to give kids of all backgrounds an opportunity to see themselves as future engineers, technologists and scientists.”

The Sikorsky Helicopter 2050 Challenge is a part of Sikorsky’s commitment to encouraging students’ hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The program also gives the corporation an opportunity to develop long-term relationships with tomorrow’s engineers.

Last year’s winner, Hana Bidon, 17, of West Haven, Connecticut, designed the Skylift Rescue 968 by mimicking the bone structure of birds to develop a lighter and more aerodynamic helicopter. The main body of the aircraft is made out of recycled fiber-composite materials, which use 3D vascular networks to self-heal. As a result, this helicopter repairs cracks with the aid of a technician.

Sikorsky co-sponsors this annual Challenge with By Kids For Kids, a Connecticut-based organization, whose educational content inspires kids to become successful inventors. The Challenge honors Sikorsky Aircraft founder Igor Sikorsky who, in 1939, led an engineering team that developed a vertical lift machine with a core design that is still used in a majority of helicopters flying today.

Schools, museums and camps throughout the country can use the fun, hands-on activities to help students imagine the environmental future and challenges of helicopters. Teachers, program facilitators, parents and museum staff can sign up at www.helicopter2050.com to download FREE program materials.

For more information about the competition and program, visit www.helicopter2050.com.

Featured

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • Sam Houston State University Completes Athletic Stadium Renovations

    Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, recently announced the reopening of Elliott T. Bowers Stadium after an extensive renovation project, according to a news release. The university partnered with Stantec and DLR Group for the project’s design.

  • Building Beyond Simulation: Creating Immersive Ecosystems for Healthcare Education

    Health sciences education is one of the fastest-growing facility types in colleges and universities. The demand for medical, nursing, and allied health professionals is driving the creation and renovation of medical simulation training facilities that provide students with real-world experience through advanced simulation-based learning.

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.