Students from the Academy’s Connecting STEM Teachers schools network in Northern Ireland have celebrated the 90th anniversary of Amelia Earhart landing unexpectedly near Londonderry when she became the first woman to fly the Atlantic solo in May 1932.
The Amelia Earhart STEM Challenge, hosted by Ulster University on 20 May 2022, brought together students from across the region to compete in design challenges ranging from Longest Flying Distance to Best Plane Aesthetics. The STEM Challenge allowed them to demonstrate their talents and celebrate the magnificent achievements of Amelia Earhart and her unique aviation link with Derry in a way that was both fun and educational.
The winners of The Amelia Earhart Legacy Association Perpetual Trophy were Thornhill College, who also won a helicopter ride with their teacher over Derry and along the flight path taken by Amelia Earhart before she landed on Gallagher’s farm in Ballyarnett, courtesy of City of Derry Airport and Cutting Edge Helicopters.
Among the guests were the Mayor Graham Warke and representatives of Atchinson Amelia Earhart Foundation visiting from America. Prizes were presented by Maressa McWilliams, Senior Marketing Executive, City of Derry Airport, and Karen Seaberg, Chair of the Board of Directors, Atchinson Amelia Earhart Foundation.
The Amelia Earhart STEM Challenge was initiated by Clare Doherty, the Academy’s Connecting STEM Teachers coordinator in Northern Ireland. She is the great-granddaughter of Robert Gallagher, the farmer who was among the first to greet the celebrated US women pilot at Ballyarnett when she landed in one of his fields. Clare recounted the story to the BBC.
End