The US Air Force is setting aside land for a STEM campus in Ohio that aims to change how kids discover science and technology. On sixteen acres at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, a first of its kind STEM Talent Development Complex is planned with labs, classrooms and dorms at an estimated cost of about forty million dollars.
Supporters describe the project as a way to grow the next generation of scientists, engineers and technicians. They hope the about ninety thousand square foot center will become a national model while also building a local workforce ready for high skill technical jobs.
What might that mean for a student who just wants a clearer path to a future career?
A first of its kind STEM hub at Wright Patterson
An out grant license signed by the US Air Force lets partners use the sixteen acre site near the National Museum of the US Air Force. Once construction begins, that license will convert into a fifty year lease, and project leaders are aiming for completion around 2031.
Vince Russo of Air Camp called the planned complex a chance to “become a national icon for how STEM talent development is conducted”. They say that bringing classrooms, labs and event spaces together will make it easier to give students hands on experiences in aviation and other advanced technologies.
Bringing schools, the base and employers together
Dayton area groups that span education and workforce needs, including Air Camp, the Dayton Ohio STEM ecosystem and the Employers Workforce Coalition, developed the concept. Their shared idea is simple, put scattered programs under one roof so students and teachers can reach STEM opportunities in one place.
Jessica Short of Dayton Ohio STEM stressed that interest should start very early. “We need to start at the earliest age, at three years old,” she said. “They need to see themselves with a STEM identity.”
Fundraising for the forty million dollar vision
To move from drawings to construction, organizers still have to secure much of the project cost. They plan to blend federal, state and philanthropic money while the Dayton Foundation manages a crowd sourcing fund that lets residents and companies pledge any amount.
Business advocate Jeff Hoagland of the Dayton Development Coalition sees the complex as one way to keep the region competitive as artificial intelligence and robotics change many jobs. The main press release about the project has been published by Air Camp.
The official press release about the complex was published on the Air Camp website.
