As the 2025-2026 school year comes to a close, Kent School District is celebrating the successful first year of an innovative partnership with The Museum of Flight that has provided third-grade students with engaging, hands-on STEM learning experiences at no cost to schools.

During the inaugural year of the partnership, students from eight Kent School District elementary schools, representing 25 classrooms, participated in curriculum-aligned field trips designed collaboratively by Museum educators and KSD staff. Building on the program's success, plans are underway to expand opportunities to nine to eighteen schools during the 2026-2027 school year, with a goal of reaching all 29 elementary schools by 2027-2028.

Funded in part by The Boeing Company and 4Culture, the partnership removes financial barriers and ensures students have access to enriching educational experiences that extend learning beyond the classroom.

"This partnership reflects the power of OneCommunity, where schools and partners come together to expand opportunities for our students," said Kent School District Superintendent Israel Vela. "This collaboration helps remove barriers and provides access to high-quality, hands-on experiences for students to engage in meaningful learning that may spark curiosity and open doors to future possibilities."

The field trip experiences were intentionally designed to align with the district's adopted third-grade science curriculum, particularly units focused on forces and motion. Students participated in an interactive aerospace engineering workshop that challenged them to apply scientific concepts through a hands-on "space capsule drop" activity. The experience also introduced students to STEM careers, including opportunities within Washington's aerospace industry.

Following the workshop, students explored Museum exhibits with support materials that connected their experiences back to classroom learning.

"The Museum of Flight field trip aligned with our force and motion science unit," said Jennifer Sutherland, a third-grade teacher at Kent Laboratory Academy. "It gave our third graders the opportunity to practice their academic vocabulary, experience hands-on STEM, and explore real-world connections with engine parts and propellers that create movement. Afterward, students used what they learned on the field trip to build their own force and motion machines in class."

Students also shared their excitement about the experience.

"On the field trip, we learned what it is like to come back from space and what it feels like to be in space—people float!" said Ekroop Kaur, a third-grade student at Kent Laboratory Academy. "It helped us learn and get experience to do our class project, and there were nice people at The Museum of Flight."

The Museum of Flight's Education Senior Program Manager, Arthur Bednar, highlighted the value of the collaboration.

"It has been a privilege to work alongside the dedicated third-grade teachers and administrators in Kent School District," Bednar said. "Through this partnership, we've been able to share the depth of knowledge, collections, and hands-on learning experiences that make The Museum of Flight a unique educational resource for our community."

Kent School District is grateful for the support of The Boeing Company and 4Culture, whose investments help provide meaningful educational opportunities that inspire curiosity, strengthen classroom learning, and connect students to future career pathways.

Through partnerships like this, Kent School District continues its commitment to ensuring every student has access to engaging, high-quality learning experiences that prepare them for future success.