THE Air Force, as part of its recruitment efforts, is approaching young people for help in solving real-world technological problems using a collaborative online platform.
The initiative, which will be introduced on Thursday, will create a digital program called the Air Force Collaboratory, in which young people will be challenged to develop technologies for search-and-rescue operations in collapsed structures; to create software code for a quadrotor, a type of unmanned, aerial vehicle; and to determine where to place the newest GPS satellite.
The Air Force hopes the program will attract students in so-called STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — to work with its airmen on developing solutions for the three challenges, and, ideally, consider enlisting.
The initiative — which the Air Force will promote through digital advertising, social media and partnerships with groups like Discovery Education — is the latest recruiting effort created for the Air Force by GSD&M, an agency based in Austin, Tex., that is part of the Omnicom Group.
GSD&M has been the Air Force’s agency since 2001, developing campaigns to help it attract the over 28,000 recruits it needs annually; the agency said its work had helped the Air Force meet its recruiting goals each year.
GSD&M’s recruiting strategy for the Air Force — which has always sought tech-savvy candidates — previously featured an “Airman Challenge” online video game. A separate campaign included television spots whose theme was, “It’s not science fiction.”
Col. Marcus Johnson, chief of the strategic marketing division of the Air Force Recruiting Service, said the Air Force focused on “going after the best and brightest young men and women, with an emphasis on the STEM subjects. Whether they’re in high school or college, those topics translate into what we do in the Air Force.”
He said the collaboratory program was meant to appeal to men and women ages 16 to 24, including high school students still determining their future plans.
Ryan Carroll, a creative director at GSD&M, said the Air Force was “very much like the Apples and Googles of the world in recognizing the huge need for scientists and engineers. They reach out to kids at an early age and show them the amazing things they can do with science and technology.” He pointed to initiatives like the Google Science Fair, an online, annual, global science competition for teenagers, as an example.
Similarly, the collaboratory program aims to “inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, technologists and mathematicians, and to show them all the amazing, science-related things the Air Force does,” Mr. Carroll said. The program will also allow students to “participate and solve real problems the Air Force solves every day,” he added.
Young people will be able to learn more about the initiative’s challenges at the Web site airforce.com/collaboratory, which will act as a forum. Challenge participants will be able to use custom-built tools to share ideas and work with airmen and other experts to develop solutions.
Not surprisingly, digital media will primarily be used to promote the program. Custom editorial content is being developed for the STEM hub of Good.com, a global community of “pragmatic idealists,” while custom videos are being filmed for DNews, an online video series from Discovery Communications; the videos will feature the DNews hosts Trace Dominguez and Anthony Carboni. The technology network Technorati is asking bloggers to create custom posts on the collaboratory and related subjects, while the Air Force will pay to place videos on Web sites like YouTube, Blip and Machinima. In addition, the Air Force will promote the initiative on Facebook and Twitter.
Digital banner advertising will run on the Web sites of Scientific American, Popular Science and The Verge. One set of ads depicts an Air Force helicopter approaching a scene of destruction after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that has trapped dozens of survivors. The copy reads, “Your idea could save them. The Air Force Collaboratory. Search and rescue 2.0 is now open. Start collaborating.”
The Air Force also is working with Discovery Education, a division of Discovery Communications, on an outreach program for high school science and math teachers.
Colonel Johnson said that although the collaboratory would run through November, new challenges could be created after that. In addition, he said the Web site would carry no overt recruiting messages, nor would the Air Force actively recruit challenge participants, since the initiative was meant to raise interest in the Air Force and possibly encourage participants to seek out more information about opportunities there.
The Latest Bing News on:
Air Force Collaboratory
- A US ally is forging ties with China's air force but probably won't get its J-20 stealth fighteron May 8, 2024 at 2:00 pm
The United Arab Emirates is building ties to China's air force in what may be a scheme to eventually buy F-35 stealth fighters from the US.
- Most Air Guard members affected by proposal to shift to Space Force would rather retrain or retire, officials sayon May 8, 2024 at 3:50 am
Air National Guard leaders estimated up to 70% of their space-focused airmen would resist a transfer to Space Force should Congress approve an Air Force proposal to move 14 Guard units into the newest ...
- Air Force Pilots Now Can Start Mental Health Treatment and Won't Immediately Be Pulled from Flight Statuson May 7, 2024 at 3:50 pm
Prior to the policy update, which was publicized in a May 1 press release, if an airman began seeking treatment for mental health-related illnesses or concerns, they would then need a return-to-duty ...
- Air Force opens applications for warrant officer jobs in cyber, ITon April 25, 2024 at 12:41 pm
This story was updated April 25 at 4:18 p.m. to include a statement from Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. The Air Force on Thursday opened applications to join its first active duty warrant ...
- US Air Force tests AI-piloted jet in dogfight against human pilot, watch videoon April 22, 2024 at 3:11 pm
The US Air Force, through DARPA, successfully tested an AI-controlled jet in a dogfight against a human pilot. The test took place at Edwards Air Force Base in California, demonstrating ...
- Alligator captured at MacDill Air Force Baseon April 22, 2024 at 2:45 pm
Personnel at the MacDill Air Force Base had an unexpected scaly visitor. An alligator was nestled against a U.S. Air Force airplane while on the runway, at the base, which is in the Tampa area.The ...
- US Air Force planes swoop over Devon and Cornwallon April 19, 2024 at 4:59 pm
US Air Force aircraft have been spotted soaring over the skies of Devon and Cornwall tonight (Saturday, April 20). A Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker and Boeing KC-135T Stratotanker were seen flying ...
- Air Force Academy provides updates on major construction projectson April 19, 2024 at 4:59 pm
(U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.) — The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is hard at work as there are currently several construction projects underway. The four projects include: True North ...
- Air Force Awards Space C2 Serviceson April 15, 2024 at 5:00 pm
This contract will be supporting the transition and integration of mission-critical Space Domain Awareness, Battle Management Command and Control, and space enterprise capabilities to support the Air ...
- Air Force extends enforcement deadline for new body composition teston April 8, 2024 at 5:00 pm
(Senior Airman Tylon Chapman/Air National Guard) Airmen and guardians who exceed the Air Force’s new waist-to-height ratio cutoff on annual physical fitness tests now have until at least the ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Air Force Collaboratory
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Air Force Collaboratory” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Students solving real world problems
- Students discover holistic learningon May 9, 2024 at 1:08 pm
Eighth-graders at Sequoia Middle School in Newbury Park are learning how to explore a single topic through various lenses. The process is part of the school’s Discover Academy: an interdisciplinary ...
- Business Ideas That Solve Problems: 14 Real-Life Exampleson May 9, 2024 at 11:00 am
Problems are the spark for innovative solutions. Here we've gathered the accounts of entrepreneurs who transformed challenges into successful business ventures. Read on to learn why these founders ...
- Pennsylvania Governor’s STEM Competition highlights students’ problem-solving abilitieson May 8, 2024 at 2:45 pm
Tomorrow’s engineers and scientists brought their skills to Harrisburg today. Students from across the state took part in the 10th Annual Governor’s STEM Competition. Teams of high school students ...
- Brainerd High students tackle real-world problems in chemistry classon May 8, 2024 at 2:28 pm
Brainerd High chemistry students this semester were tasked with solving a problem the scientific community has been grappling with: building a battery protection device that prevents a battery from ...
- How two high school students solved a 2,000-year-old math puzzleon May 5, 2024 at 4:00 pm
Calcea Johnson and Ne'Kiya Jackson surprised the math world when, as seniors in high school, they produced innovative solutions to a 2,000-year-old puzzle.
- Students’ solutions to real-world problems on display at UTSA Tech Symposiumon April 22, 2024 at 4:59 pm
Hosted by the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design at UTSA, the Tech Symposium highlighted a culmination of engineering curricula, with students challenged to apply ...
- Student of the Year Hackathon invites students to develop digital solutions to real-world problemson January 30, 2024 at 3:37 pm
If you could brainstorm a digital solution to solve one real-world problem, what would it be ... two University of Hong Kong (HKU) students teamed up to brainstorm ideas for a new app to tackle ...
- COLUMN: Can we find the solution to middle school math woes in a virtual world?on September 18, 2023 at 5:00 pm
The exercise is part of a new program that encourages learning middle school math through real world problem-solving ... Instead of memorizing equations, students develop structural reasoning skills ...
- Imaginative Student Ideas to Solve Global Problemson November 27, 2020 at 4:17 am
Dubbed Superhero U, the competition encourages students of all nations to examine the problems facing society ... needed for defeating the complex real-world challenges facing our planet.
- Student Newspapers Face Real World Challengeson January 13, 2020 at 4:00 pm
These problems are similar to ... turn out professionals who can inform the world, according to the Associated Press, which reported this story about student journalists in a recent article.
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Students solving real world problems
[google_news title=”” keyword=”students solving real world problems” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]