STUDENTS SUCCEED IN STEM CHALLENGE

Students from Joel Barlow High School won a piece of software valued at nearly $10,000 at a recent science competition.

The Joel Barlow students were among almost 100 students from eight high school schools in the state to compete in the Sikorsky STEM Challenge, where they designed helicopter cockpits of the future.

Laurelton Hall in Milford won first place followed by Joel Barlow and Hamden High School.

But Joel Barlow won the live demonstration round, earning the school the Lockheed Martin’s flagship flight simulation software, Prepar3D. This equipment allows users to create training scenarios for aviation, maritime and the ground, according to a press release from Sikorksy.

Since October, Sikorsky engineers have mentored the students in participating schools.

“The experience allows students to apply their creative thinking and inclass education to the types of technical problems faced in an actual engineering workplace,” said John McGonagle, chief pilot and director, test flight and operations.

Contributed photo Nearly 100 high school students competed in the Sikorsky STEM Challenge to design helicopter cockpits of the future. Winning schools, Joel Barlow High School and Laurelton Hall, each received a $10,000 in-kind donation of Lockheed Martin’s flagship flight simulation software Prepar3D.