In March, the Beavercreek Robotics Club—one of the teams that the Chapter sponsors—competed at the state robotics competition hosted at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. If you’ve never been, the competition is a truly impressive event. The floor was filled with teams from across the state, while the staging areas buzzed with energy and preparation. It is no small undertaking, and the scale speaks to the dedication of the students, mentors, and volunteers who make it possible.

A special thank-you goes to Mark Sobota, who gave his time to support practice sessions in the lead-up to competition. By all accounts, he enjoyed the experience, and we are grateful for his support. Next year, we hope to have even more volunteers join in helping students sharpen their skills and prepare for the big event.

The Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) Wright Memorial Chapter (WMC) is pleased to welcome two new schools into our grant program: Trotwood Madison and Thurgood Marshall. Both are located in what we would describe as “STEM funding deserts”—areas where resources for science, technology, engineering, and math education are limited. Our grants are helping to change that.

The only requirements we set are simple but powerful: use the funds to support STEM projects, and share the outcomes with us so we can celebrate student successes.

At Trotwood Madison, VP of Education, Carl Shofner presented a check alongside Rachael Murdock (Director of Curriculum), Danielle Byrd (Elementary Curriculum Coordinator), and Dr. Kurt Schulze (Secondary Curriculum Coordinator). At Thurgood Marshall, the Chapter delivered the grant to the school office during spring break on behalf of Lauren Allman, a math teacher and STEM coordinator who will lead the projects there.

These partnerships represent our ongoing commitment to supporting schools and programs that ignite curiosity and open doors for students—whether through hands-on robotics competitions or classroom-based STEM initiatives.

As we look toward the year ahead, we encourage our members to consider volunteering or supporting these efforts. Every bit of time and support makes a difference in building the next generation of innovators and leaders!