A judge for “What’s Your Story,” the Wittman Regional Airport writing contest for those in grades 3-12 in Oshkosh-area schools, I feel compelled to share some observations gleaned from the entries I’ve just read. As our future, I found their participation in and perspective on aviation enlightening.
In two categories, grades 3-8 and 9-12, students attending any school in the Oshkosh area were eligible to, “in your own words,” write no more than 500 words of prose or poetry that describe “what makes flying special to you.” A rough sum of the area school districts tallies roughly 15,000 students, with two thirds enrolled in Oshkosh schools.
By the deadline the contest received 44 entries, all but two from Oshkosh schools. The majority, were from middle schoolers in grades 6-8. Only two high schoolers, one male and one female, took time to write. Girls dominated the grade school category 30 to 12. Regardless of grade, their perspective on flight and aviation shunned nostalgia and romance.
For roughly three-quarters of the students, what impressed them most was the pre- and post-flight airport experience. Terminal’s shopping and eating opportunities was a common theme, followed by the security gauntlet and inconveniences of a missed flight. The dearth of words dedicated to the flight itself suggests that to these students it was no more memorable than riding the school bus.
[Read more…] about A Middle School Perspective on Aviation