Photo By Kenneth Abbate | U.S. Air Force Col. Lisa Palmer, 60th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron commander,...... read more read more
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TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Phoenix Spark hosted a STEAM event, bringing together student teams from four different Solano County school districts who presented innovative solutions to two real-world challenges the Air Force is facing at Travis Air Force Base, California, May 9, 2025.
Seven teams participated in the event, which was held at the Delta Breeze Convention Center. The event focused on developing concepts to either enhance Air Force recruitment or create an autonomous solution for the safe relocation of California Tiger Salamanders near the base runway.
"We presented real-world problem-sets and offered the opportunity for young minds to ‘walk alongside us’ in the pursuit for technological superiority and national security advancements,” said Master Sgt. Autumn Monroe, 60th Operations Support Squadron air traffic control training noncommissioned officer in charge and STEAM event coordinator. “Hopefully, it helped to inspire the students to consider future military service as an outlet for their ideas.”
Student teams presented their projects to a panel of judges, educators and local leaders. One team was selected as the winner for each challenge.
Projects addressing the salamander challenge included robotic snakes designed to mimic predators, citronella-infused sponges to deter the amphibians from the runway, PVC piping systems to create alternate paths and vibrating metal stakes intended to redirect movement away from active flight lines.
For the recruiting challenge, students introduced ideas such as cartoon-style books designed to explain Air Force careers to younger audiences and targeted social media ad campaigns. The team that addressed the salamander relocation issue was recognized for its use of vibrating stakes and habitat-safe routing alternatives.
“This event was important to me and our team, because it was a capstone project for our school, and gave us the chance to innovate with a problem that we didn’t think we’d come across, with limited supplies and resources,” said Daniel Barbieri, a Buckingham High School student from the winning team.
The winning team for the recruitment challenge earned top honors for its combined use of digital ads and emphasis on the various jobs available to make Air Force messaging more accessible and appealing.
“I feel it was important because I am enlisting, and from what I have heard, people think the Air Force is just planes and pilots,” said Judah Schoenrock, a Deanza High School Air Force Junior ROTC student from the winning recruiting team. “I think it is important that it is advertised that there are a lot more jobs you can do.”
Educators accompanying the students emphasized the benefits of giving students real-world problems to solve with professional input and guidance.
“I think these types of events are extremely valuable for the students,” said retired U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Carlos Montanez, Turlock High School Navy Junior ROTC instructor. “We get to see what they [the students] can do and it builds on the students’ understanding that they are capable of doing something beyond just the classroom.”
The Phoenix Spark STEAM Event is part of a broader effort at Travis AFB to promote innovation, connect with the local community and develop future problem-solvers in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
| Date Taken: | 05.09.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.16.2025 19:18 |
| Story ID: | 498240 |
| Location: | TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 150 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Phoenix Spark engages Solano County students in Air Force problem solving, by Kenneth Abbate, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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