DAYTON — Thirty girls participated in the Aviate Her camp at Dayton International Airport, where they learned about careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
The program took place in conjunction with The Dayton Air Show, which takes place this weekend.
The Aviate Her camp is in its second year and focuses on encouraging more women to enter the aviation field. The initiative aims to expose young women to industry professionals.
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Jasmine Wood, the Aviate Her organizer, emphasized the importance of the camp in a field often dominated by men.
“It’s a very male-dominant field and just exposing them to other women in the industry and saying you can do this too,” Wood said.
The girls at the camp spent the day visiting different stations, which included hands-on activities and opportunities to get close to various aircraft.
Wood expressed her hope that the experience would have a lasting impact on the participants. “I hope they’re inspired, like and motivated, and I hope they can take what they learned today and apply it for tomorrow and the next day,” Wood said.
Anna Ludwig, an Aviate Her camper from Southeast Michigan, attended the program with a specific goal in mind. “I am hoping to get into the United States Air Force Academy. So my dad and I were looking at this air show,” Ludwig said.
Ludwig left the camp feeling enthusiastic about her future in aviation.
“I’m pumped, I’m so hyped, there’s so many cool just women in aviation that are, they’re so empowering and just giving you all the information that you need and answering questions, it’s awesome,” Ludwig said.
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