Grant will boost Wichita aerospace magnet school

Young scientists at Wichita's Mueller Elementary School are about to get better equipped and officially attired.

A $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education will fund a new weather lab, flight simulator, broadcast studio and computers at the aerospace and engineering magnet, as well as kid-sized lab coats and safety glasses.

"Awesome," fifth-grader Noah Santry said of the Project Dream grant, which was announced Wednesday at the school. "That's going to be pretty cool."

The three-year grant will allow Mueller, near 24th North and Hillside, to provide more enhanced science and engineering lessons. It also could attract a wider group of students to the magnet school, which has become less diverse since the district ended busing for integration two years ago.

Mueller is a K-5 neighborhood magnet with a focus on aerospace engineering, the first elementary school of its kind in the state. It has formed partnerships with the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center and Wichita State University's College of Engineering.

"When you have a quality program, that is an attraction itself," said Alicia Thompson, Wichita's assistant superintendent for elementary schools.

"Absolutely we hope people will learn about this program and be very excited about it. We're excited about it."

Jaime Hutchinson, Mueller's principal, wore a white lab coat and safety glasses during a ceremony to announce the new grant.

She told students the funding would "make our magnet school even better" by providing more computers, lab supplies and other equipment. The money also will help fund a parent resource specialist, an instructional coach and teacher training programs.

"It's going to be so neat because you'll be able to see our magnet program right when you walk in the doors," Hutchinson said. "It's going to be part of everything we do."

Zulma Toro-Ramos, dean of WSU's College of Engineering, said she is looking forward to working with Mueller students even more in coming years.

"This model that we are about to implement — higher education collaborating with an elementary school in the aerospace arena — is unique in the nation," she told the students.

"The future of this country will depend on youngsters like you who decide to pursue these types of careers."

On Wednesday, kindergarten students in Tiffany Lee's class demonstrated science time. Wearing lab coats and safety glasses —"When you're scientists, you gotta be wearing the gear," said Hutchinson, the principal — students colored paper rockets and took turns throwing them toward colored squares. They recorded the results of each "launch" with crayons.

In another room, fifth-grader Noah and classmate Cimario Bradley programmed a Lego robot to take laps around a paper track. Noah said he envisions being a meteorologist someday; Cimario hopes to be an engineer.

Both boys said Mueller's emphasis on technology and engineering has heightened their interest in math and science — and their education in general.

"Teachers like to have fun but still do learning at the same time," Cimario said. "That's what I like."

This story was originally published January 20, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Grant will boost Wichita aerospace magnet school."