Rationale

Many at-risk children of color continue to either perform poorly in school or are failing to reach their academic potential. Yet, there exists ample research and examples that reveal under the right conditions, many of these children can, over time, meet grade level expectations in their core subjects. One of the ways these students can be significantly helped is by providing them with high-quality tutorial services, combined with engaging enrichment activities.

Goal

Chauncey E. Spencer Academic Motivational Program - Tutorial and After School Services (CSAMP) will provide high-quality tutorial and enrichment activities with the goal of ensuring that participants reach their Grade Level Expectation in math and science and show improvement in other core subjects through an Integrated Tutorial and Motivational Program that will teach aeronautics and the history of African-American aviators.

Program Description

CSAMP is designed to help at-risk students of color master their core curriculum objectives/skills and increase their capacity to invest more of their time and effort in their education. The key components and strengths of this program are:

High-quality teachers/tutors with backgrounds in math, engineering, aeronautics, science and social science

A ratio of 1:4 tutor/students

A class of no more than 20 students with a master teacher

Well-designed curriculum/lesson plans and supporting instructional strategies and resources

Historical and current role models of persons who overcame social barriers to achieve their academic and career goals

Programs and activities that will allow students to bridge their academic subjects with real-world experiences and personal goals, including their participation in building and flying model airplanes, and their participation in regional and national model airplane competitions.

Preliminary Project Instructional/Enrichment Goals and Objectives

1. Principles of Aeronautics

1.1. The student will understand the properties of air.

1.1.1. The student will demonstrate through an experiment how air takes up room.

1.1.2. The student will demonstrate through an experiment how air has pressure.

1.1.3. The student will demonstrate through an experiment how air moves.

1.1.4. The student will demonstrate through an experiment how heat causes air to expand.

1.1.5. The student will demonstrate through an experiment how air contains moisture.

1.1.6. The student will demonstrate through an experiment how warm air holds more moisture than cold air.

1.1.7. The student will demonstrate through an experiment how air can hold objects up, i.e, leaves float.

1.1.8. The student will demonstrate through an experiment how air can allow something to fly.

1.2. The student will understand the functions of the various parts of an airplane or what helps an airplane to fly.

1.2.1. The student will explain and demonstrate the tug of war between the opposing forces of thrust versus drag.

1.2.2. The student will explain and demonstrate the tug of war between the opposing forces of lift versus weight/Gravity.

1.2.2.1. The students will make an airfoil lift and demonstrate its use

1.3. The student will explain and demonstrate what drives an airplane forward.

1.3.1.1. Propeller

1.3.1.2. Propulsion/engine

1.4. The student will explain and demonstrate how an airplane is controlled.

1.4.1.1. Aileron

1.4.1.2. Vertical fin

1.4.1.3. Horizontal Stabilizer

1.4.1.4. Elevator

1.4.1.5. Rudder

1.5. The students will, in addition to the parts that control the plane, identify and name the other parts of an airplane and describe their functions:

1.5.1. Wings

1.5.2. Propeller

1.5.3. Landing gear

1.5.4. Fuselage

1.5.5. Cockpit

1.6. The student, in applying Principles of Aeronautics, will build and/or experiment with various free flight forms of airplanes.

1.7. The student will build and fly hand projected and rubber band projected glider airplanes.

1.8. The student will master flying a radio controlled model airplane.

1.9. The student will compete in both free flight and radio controlled airplane competition.

1.10. The student will explain the importance of navigational instruments in the flying of an airplane.

1.10.1. The student will make a compass, explain and demonstrate its function.

1.11. The students will explain why knowledge of the weather is important to aviation.

1.12. The students will explain the importance of and use of measurement to aviation.

1.13. The student will explain the importance of geography to aviation.

2. Careers in Aeronautics

2.1. The students will be able to describe the functions of airline professionals and the education and experience requirements to pursue a career in these occupations.

2.1.1. Service: Flight Attendants, Passenger

2.1.2. Aviators: Astronauts, Pilots

2.1.3. Technical: Flight Services Specialist, Air Traffic Controllers, Ground Radio

Operators

2.1.4. Manufacturing: Scientist and Engineers, Technicians

2.1.5. Sales: Ticket Agents, Sales Representatives, Insurance agents

2.2. The Student will visit an airport and observe the work of aviation professionals.

2.3. The Student will identify the subjects he/she is currently taking and describe how this could help in meeting the qualification for three or more of the occupations listed above.

3. History of Aeronautics, with emphasis on the African American Experience

3.1. The student will explain the significance and contributions of the Wright Brothers to aviation.

3.2. The student will identify four major challenges faced by African Americans as they created their own opportunities in the field of aviation.

3.2.1. Bessie Coleman

3.2.2. William J. Powell

3.2.3. Willa Brown

3.2.4. Cornelius Coffey

3.2.5. Chauncey E. Spencer

3.2.6. Chief Anderson

3.2.7. Benjamin O. Davis

3.2.8. Guion S. Bluford, Jr.

3.2.9. Mae C. Jemison (M.D.)

3.3. The student will list strategies that blacks used to overcome obstacles to their participation.

3.3.1. Bessie Coleman

3.3.2. William J. Powell

3.3.3. Willa Brown

3.3.4. Cornelius Coffey

3.3.5. Chauncey E. Spencer

3.3.6. Chief Anderson

3.3.7. Benjamin O. Davis

3.3.8. Guion S. Bluford, Jr.

3.3.9. Mae C. Jemison (M.D.)

Pilot Project

Shabazz Academy, a charter school located in Lansing, Michigan, with the support of the Kellogg Foundation has provided CSAMP with funding to conduct a 15-Week Enrichment Pilot Program for 20 at-risk boys in grades 3 -6. A team of tutors/mentors along with volunteers from various engineering and aviation professions will strengthen participating students academic abilities and learning readiness. They will teach the listed instructional goals and objectives using Authentic Learning Strategies: hands-on, team-work and problem-solving. Thus, many of the learning modules will call for students to explore and manipulate materials on their own with the tutors/mentors as an observers and guides. Also planned are field trips to museums and airports in Ohio and Michigan. In addition, students, as indicated above, will build and fly model planes, conduct experiments, produce other related projects and learn about aviation careers and history. To help increase their self-esteem and motivation, the program will provide students with the opportunity to display their projects and demonstrate their knowledge/skills to the school and community.

On October 11 2006, 20 boys from EL-Shabazz Academy in Lansing, Michigan in grades 3-6, selected by Dr. Eugene Cain, principal and C.E.O., will begin participation in the Chauncey Spencer Academic Motivational Program (CSAMP). Funded by the Kellogg Foundation, the program is designed to help boys excel in science and math through learning about aeronautical science and history. The students will meet once a week from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. the Black Family Institute from October 2006 through April 2007. Three trained mentor/tutors and a core of volunteers with will provide enrichment and tutoring backgrounds in education, engineering, aviation, math, and science.

The program is named after Chauncey Spencer, a young boy who fell in love with flying at the age of 1l upon seeing his first plane fly over the skies of his hometown, Lynchburg, Virginia. With the help of his parents, he not only learned to fly at a time when people of color were often discouraged, but helped to make it possible for people of color to be trained at Tuskegee University during World War II, creating a group that is now called the Tuskegee Airmen. This experiment paved the way for the integration of the military and ultimately helped to outlaw legal racial discrimination. His son, Chauncey Spencer Il, with the help of others, has continued his father's work by organizing CSAMP. He and his team will help young people achieve their dreams despite the social and economic obstacles placed in their way.

CSAMP Staff and volunteers will use hands-on, collaborative, and project-based teaching/learning strategies. Students will: l) conduct aeronautical experiments, 2) build and test free-flight model airplanes, 3) participate in free flight indoor competition, 4) learn to fly radio-controlled electrical powered indoor and outdoor model airplanes. 5) complete a history project on famous African American aviators, and 6) participate in aviation and historical field trips.

The core activity of CSAMP is teaching the child how to build and fly a Balsa Wood Model Airplane and participate in competition. With coaching and mentoring, this activity will develop in the child the ability to: 1) work quietly on a task for an extended-period of time, 2) gather information before starting, controlling the impulse to jump into a task without thinking and planning, 3) acknowledge the expertise of others, and realize that he or she needs instructional help with a task, even if it seems easy and obvious at a casual glance, 4) tolerate frustration - to understand that a difficult, new, lengthy and complex project will always go wrong in small ways - a mature individual sees these obstacles as temporary, as problems to be solved, and as natural, normal and expected; not as tragedies or failures, 5) put a project away for a while when it becomes too challenging and then go back to it with a fresh eye and 6) completely finish a project and never abandon attention to detail.

A person who has built a stick and tissue model airplane, one that really flies well, will not only learn the science and math behind its design and operation but will feel pride in the ownership of something they have created and something that achieves its purpose. It is the basis of genuine self-esteem, motivation, and ultimate success in life.

A Parent Student Orientation for those students selected to participate in CSAMP will be held at the Black Family Institute in Lansing, Michigan on Tuesday, October 10, 2006, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

For more Information on CSAMP you may contact: