As an 11th grader, Ethan likes to play football and paintball. He is a member of the Eta Sigma Alpha National Home School Honor Society. When he is older, Ethan aspires to be an aerospace engineer, and would like to learn to fly aircraft. “This competition gave me the opportunity to learn new knowledge and gain new skills,” said Ethan. “I was fascinated with the ‘Coanda Effect’ that I read about, and I decided to use it to make my helicopter design more efficient.” 

Museums throughout the country participated in the Sikorsky Helicopter 2050 Challenge program, which engaged young visitors to envision the environmental future of helicopters while learning important scientific and engineering principles through fun hands-on activities. “The Sikorsky Helicopter 2050 Challenge is a program to push kids to apply what they’ve learned in school to create an idea that is entirely theirs,” said Judy Bankowski, Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Sikorsky. “Our program seeks to inspire kids to think and innovate, and to begin shaping their future.” 

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of high technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries. 

By Kids For Kids (BKFK) is a platform that empowers youth invention, innovation and entrepreneurship. BKFK promotes youth social innovation and partners with leading corporations to inspire product development, crucial technology skills, invention, and innovation in young people. BKFK provides a unique platform for young people to develop, showcase, and commercialize their products, inventions and entrepreneurship. BKFK’s “cycle of innovation” develops critical 21st Century skills in our nation’s youth. The company provides educational resources, curriculum and challenges that promote social change, product development and entrepreneurial endeavors.