The FAA has announced that it will open registration for its annual Airport Design Challenge on Nov. 1, 2021. The science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-focused competition allows K-12 students to design virtual airports using the popular game Minecraft. The challenge includes five weeks of organized lesson plans covering topics such as airport layout, pavement, lighting, structures and growth.
“The Airport Design Challenge is a perfect fit of science, technology, engineering and math which is so much a part of what we do at the FAA and so important to pass on to the next generation,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson.
Throughout the 2021 Airport Design Challenge, guidance will be provided by FAA aerospace and engineering professionals while program facilitators will issue weekly knowledge-check quizzes and collect screenshots of students’ designs to “assess progress and provide feedback.” The event, which allows students to participate individually or form teams of up to five members, is scheduled to begin on Nov. 14. Approximately 800 students from around the globe participated in the competition last year.
