AFRL STEM Outreach

06/15/2026

Building a robust STEM workforce begins with making engineering accessible and fun. Celebrate National Candy Month with the classic gumdrop and toothpick challenge! It’s a hands-on way for students to explore geometry, balance, and engineering design. Today's play builds the foundation for tomorrow's highly skilled technical professionals.

Get started here: https://buff.ly/etoJJLD

06/09/2026

06/09/2026

Students from a local Cub Scout Troop participated in SEMEDS. They were briefed by engineers, toured a working laboratory, and used Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM). The SEM allowed them to zoom in on objects with incredible detail.

06/08/2026

Students from Fairborn Middle School participated in SEMEDS. Students were briefed by engineers, toured a working laboratory, and used Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM). The SEM allowed them to zoom in on objects with incredible detail.

06/08/2026

The cockpit of the Lockheed F-104C Starfighter photographed at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Photo Sponsor - Six Pack Aero - Avionics & Airframe

06/01/2026

It’s National Candy Month!

Inspiring the next generation's STEM workforce starts with making science fun and accessible. Did you know candy can be a tool to explore chemistry, diffusion, and chromatography? Check out these 14 candy science experiments from Science Buddies and spark a lifelong passion for STEM in future innovators.

Start your sweet STEM journey here: https://buff.ly/XgB1fvg

Use candy for more than a dozen fun candy science experiments!

05/26/2026

Cool down with an easy ice cream in a bag activity!

Turn milk into ice cream in 5 minutes!

https://www.science-sparks.com/how-to-make-ice-cream-with-ice-and-salt/

05/18/2026

, AFRL and a myriad other groups across Wright-Patterson Air Force Base hosted the first All Star Leadership Day, an event dedicated to and made for enterprising high school students to see what career opportunities exist within the United States Air Force.

Attendees toured through multiple spaces within area A of the base to get a better grasp of just what happens on base.

For our part, AFRL's display involved a virtual reality parachute simulator, pilot instructional training device, wearables and plenty of hands-on STEM related activities.

Check out how the event went courtesy of Dayton Daily News via the link in the comments.

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05/08/2026

Last week, our office participated in All Star Leadership Day, a massive event that brought together students from across Ohio, Kentucky, and several surrounding states. We had a blast doing what we do best: getting students excited about STEM through hands-on resources.

It was an honor to support these future leaders and inventors as they explore careers in STEM and the United States Air Force. Connecting with so much talent and ambition was truly inspiring, and we can’t wait to see the impact these students will make.

Until next time, cheers!