Bishop McCort students take flight with new aviation partnership

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — Student projects from Bishop McCort Catholic Elementary were tested in a demonstration on Monday so students could showcase their understanding of flight.

Bishop McCort Catholic Academy announced that it partnered with Nulton Aviation , Aerium Aviation , St. Francis University , University of Pittsburgh , University of Alaska , and other leaders in the Aviation workforce.

Monday’s test flight was the first collaboration since the partnership started.

The assignment was to build a glider carrying a single egg that could fly ten feet and land safely from a height of ten feet. It’s part of the Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art and Math (STREAM) program taught by Jovel Segear. Elementary students learn the principles of flight, and related vocabulary, and participate in ongoing hands-on experimental activities.

“I’m hoping that it triggers their interest and the technology. And once a kid is lit up and ready to go, they obsess over it and they become part of it and they truly understand what’s going on,” Segear, also the Academic Course Enhancement (ACE) Instructor said.

Close to a dozen planes were tested with ACE students assisting.

“It felt pretty good to look at the different like how people thought differently or how to their approach to making them,” Santino Gallucci, a sixth grader said.

His plane was tested and went down, which made him sad, but also motivated.

“I kind of thought of why it happened and started thinking about, like, immediately about what I could have done better,” Santino said.

For him and his classmates who didn’t meet the mark, it’s back to the drawing board to find out why it didn’t work and a solution to fix it.

Santino’s okay with that.

“I think I want to do something with like building and find like creating and figuring out how things work and stuff like that,” Santino added.

The project teaches students not to make rash decisions, and to think before they act. It’s a lesson, that Segear said is never too early to teach.

“I have books in my classroom that’s computer engineering for babies. They start learning logic circuits and all the algebra at that age, it’s like the ABCs for them. And that’s what they need to do when they’re adults. When we’re long gone, they have to deal with this with this type of technology,” Segear said.

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The student’s progress will continue at Bishop McCort Catholic High School from 9th grade through 12th. The elective class will fly higher into the aviation world using a state-of-the-art flight simulator.

Bishop McCort believes the partnership will lead Cambria County to be a major part of the solution to address the workforce challenges of the aviation industry.

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