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April 2005
HoverWorld Insider
Learning Takes Flight: The DiscoverHover International
School Hovercraft Program
In 450 BC, Confucius said, Tell me, and I will forget. Show
me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand.
Since the World Hovercraft Organization's DiscoverHover program
was launched in late 2003, thousands of students across the world
have been awarded an educational experience that transcends mere
telling and showing. With the DiscoverHover program, they are now
actively and eagerly involved in their own education.
The DiscoverHover web site provides hovercraft plans and instructions, Curriculum Guides and
comprehensive resources at no charge to schools and universities,
youth organizations, instructors, and students age 7 to 21 anywhere
in the world.
The value of the DiscoverHover program is best exemplified in the
praise it receives from participating instructors and students:
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| Wantirna College DiscoverHover One hovercraft |
Wantirna
College in Victoria, Australia was the first Australian
School to build the DiscoverHover One hovercraft. Secondary
instructor Robert Forbes says the project was so successful
that the school is, "beginning construction on our second
hovercraft using the DiscoverHover One plans – because
they work!" He continues, "The project has been a
great experience, with very positive feedback from parents,
students and staff. One long-serving staff member says this
is the best project he has seen at the school in his 22 years.
And the 14 students in the Technology Club have seen their ranks
swell to more than 40 students." Tom Burridge, year 11
student at Wantirna College and Team Leader for the school's
second hovercraft, echoes this enthusiasm: "This experience
has been very valuable to my education. To be honest, school
hadn't really interested me until the start of year 10, but
building the DiscoverHover One gave my interest for school a
real boost. The DiscoverHover project has been by far the highlight
of my time at secondary school. I have never had so much fun!"
In Ellicott City, Maryland USA, Technology Education instructor
Robert Hodge and his 6th, 7th and 8th grade students at Ellicott
Mills Middle School are building their first DiscoverHover
One. Hodge writes, "I've been teaching for 30 years and
I cannot remember this level of excitement in any other project
I've done with students. It brings to life the math and science
they're learning in their other classes, and it excites them
about education."
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| Cary-Grove High School hovercraft project |
Mike Naughton, Industrial Technology Department Chair at Cary-Grove
High School in Cary, Illinois USA reports, "One of
the most valuable aspects of the project is the excitement of
the students. Our enrollment went up this year, and I think
this has played a part in that." His student, Jake Rands,
a junior at Cary-Grove, says, "It's the most fun I've ever
had in school!"
Naughton's former student Ryan Marsel, now in his first year
at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach,
Florida USA, reflects, "Building the hovercraft last
year at Cary-Grove was an unforgettable experience. It gave
me opportunities that many students couldn't dream of, and
helped me to enroll in the number one Aerospace Engineering
school in the world."
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| Armstrong Atlantic State University
hovercraft team |
Dr. Cameron Coates, Assistant Professor of Engineering Studies
at Armstrong Atlantic
State University in Savannah, Georgia USA believes the most
valuable aspect of the program is that it gives students, "experience
with the practical aspects … money, budgeting, choosing
the right component – the things you don't get in school."
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Such enthusiasm is contagious. It breathes new life into the World
Hovercraft Organization's commitment to give schools and student
organizations worldwide the profound educational adventure of building
a hovercraft, learning to fly it, and racing it in worldwide competitions.
With the DiscoverHover program, however, what you now see is not
all you get! Our commitment includes an expansion of the following
areas in the days ahead:
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* International DiscoverHover events
Plans are underway to give students the opportunity to showcase
their hovercraft at national and international competitive
events. US cities who are interested in hosting events (in
addition to Terre Haute, Indiana, the home of the World Hovercraft
Organization) are Orlando, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Globally, we are in discussions with several nations, including
Thailand, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates, all of whom
are eager to bring hovercraft endurance racing events to their
countries.
* Sponsorship funds
Shipping hovercraft overseas is quite expensive and would
prohibit most schools from participating in international
events. To help diminish this obstacle, DiscoverHover has
launched an extensive sponsorship effort which, when complete,
will offset a significant portion of this expense for member
schools.
* New communication channels for members
The most valuable source of advice for schools building the
DiscoverHover One hovercraft comes from other member schools,
so we are developing new channels for DiscoverHover participants
to interact with one another. Currently, the ideal place for
member interaction is the DiscoverHover Forum, where posts
will open a discussion with the entire worldwide DiscoverHover
membership as well as with program officials.
* Additional DiscoverHover web site materials
Watch for new Curriculum Guides, a vastly expanded Vocabulary
List, and more, beginning in June 2005. |
While you await our announcements about these additions to the
program, we encourage you to check out the following recent additions
to the web site:
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Featured
Schools
As more and more schools join DiscoverHover, we will profile
their projects in detail, complete with photo galleries, in
the Featured Schools section of the web site. This is the
perfect place for new member schools to learn how other schools
have succeeded with, and benefited from, the DiscoverHover
program.
Comments
from Students
Perhaps the most revealing indication of the impact of DiscoverHover
is the reaction of students. When DiscoverHover began receiving
comments from its students, Chris Fitzgerald, Chairman of
the World Hovercraft Organization, exclaimed, "These
students are just like me! I had no time for school –
my mind was too full of building airships, tunnels, pyramids,
rockets … It was only when school began to show me how
I could achieve these quests that I started to learn. We have
founded a truly great educational tool."
Comments
from Educators
This section is an informative resource not only for instructors
currently involved in DiscoverHover projects, but also for
those who are considering the program for their schools.
The
Hovercraft Engine
Complete DiscoverHover One engine specifications have now
been added to the web site, along with contact information
for suppliers and helpful hints for obtaining the engine(s)
as a donation. |
As the DiscoverHover International School Hovercraft Program continues
to mature, we invite you to partner with the World Hovercraft Organization
in developing this truly unique educational opportunity:
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If you are a DiscoverHover member
and would like to be considered as a Featured School, please
email PR@WorldHovercraft.org for application instructions. Submission of your materials
can become a class project as you write about your experiences
building a hovercraft. Be sure to take photos as you build
your craft!
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of DiscoverHover
events, or if you would like to contribute materials or donations
to member schools, please email Office@WorldHovercraft.org
If you are an educator and would like to provide curricula
or other material for the DiscoverHover web site, please email Office@WorldHovercraft.org |
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