Michigan Youth Future Flight Challenge
The Women of the Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan (WAIAM) are committed to inspiring young children to explore and pursue careers in STEM. We believe that one of the most impactful ways to ignite this passion is through mentorship—introducing youths to professionals in the industry fosters a sense of connection and belonging within the STEM community.
The Michigan Youth Future Flight Challenge is a virtual, state-wide aerospace competition for students in grades 4-8. In groups of their choosing, participants are tasked with developing a sustainable flight solution to solve a real-world problem. The Flight Challenge lasts four weeks, with a virtual Kickoff event at the beginning, 4 weeks of group and mentorship work, and virtual Final Presentations at the end. The project involves engineering, marketing, design, and business planning, with mentorship from aerospace professional mentors who provide support, feedback, and insight throughout the process.
Throughout the last three years, MYFFC has impacted 245 students and 57 mentors from 30 Michigan companies.
Fourth Annual Michigan Youth Future Flight Challenge
Dates: October 11th – November 8th
Kickoff Event: October 11th
Location: Virtual!
Gather your team and get ready to lift off with the Fourth Annual Michigan Youth Future Flight Challenge!
Returning this fall, the MYFFC welcomes 4th-8th graders around the state of Michigan to compete over four weeks creating a flight challenge to solve a world problem. Teams can be 2-6 students, and each team will have access to two professional aerospace industry mentors.
Registration for the MYFFC will open in July – all team members must register. Keep an eye out here for updates.
Third Annual Michigan Youth Future Flight Challenge: Top Teams
Dates: October 12th – November 9th
24 student teams – 27 professional mentors
1st Place, $1000 Prize: Team The Flying 5
Team The Flying 5 created The F5 EcoMonitor. They chose to tackle both the Earth and Future challenge statements by creating a drone capable of detecting fires and air pollution. The F5 EcoMonitor scans forests for potential fires and communicates withlocal fire stations. It is also able to filter polluted air and sample those pollutants to create a map of pollution distribution.
2nd Place, $600 Prize: Team Aspiring Scientists
Team Aspiring Scientists tackled the Future challenge statement by designing the Doctor Drone! Inspired by the COVID pandemic, the Doctor Drone is capable of performing emergency blood draws and distributing oximeters, pule meters, BP monitors, etc. It’s autonomous GPS makes it able to provide emergency medical assistance at every doorstep.
3rd Place, $400 Prize: Team Wings That Fly
Team Wings That Fly created a drone that combats rising greenhouse gas levels. Tackling the Earth challenge statement, their drone Candied Carbon uses it’s filtration system to capture and separate greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. The captured gasses are then repurposed, using the CO2 to promote plant growth and collected gasses used for algae cultivation and biofuel production.
Most Creative Honorable Mention, $200 Prize: Team Mindful Engineering
Team Mindful Engineering solved the Earth challenge by creating the HurriHelp, a drone that provides post-hurricane support. This team recognized the increase in frequency of hurricanes and created the HurriHelp to deliver supplies to stranded individuals. This drone also collects plastic waste, which are then turned into sunglasses as a part of their fundraising efforts.
About the Women of AIAM (WAIAM)
Women of AIAM (WAIAM) is a dedicated committee within the Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan (AIAM) focused on expanding awareness, opportunity, and participation in Michigan’s aerospace and STEM industries. While WAIAM was created to uplift women and girls in aerospace, the group is open to all individuals—men and women alike—who share a commitment to strengthening the aerospace talent pipeline across the state.
WAIAM is co-chaired by Karen Arondoski of I.F. Metalworks and Rachel Plowman of Woodward, who lead the group with a focus on impact, collaboration, and mentorship. Together, they guide WAIAM in drawing on the knowledge, experience, and advocacy of its members—especially those with the ability to sponsor and support others entering the field.
Through outreach, mentorship, and industry engagement, WAIAM works to:
- Encourage young students—especially girls—to explore aerospace and STEM careers
- Support professional growth through shared connections and leadership opportunities
- Create pathways for individuals to thrive and lead in Michigan’s growing aerospace sector
WAIAM hosts and participates in programs and events that are open to all, while championing efforts that inspire and empower the next generation of aerospace talent.
Learn more about WAIAM here.
