SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 — UTSA and the Dee Howard Foundation are joining with local, state and national partners to establish the Dee Howard Foundation/UTSA Pre-K thru 12 Aviation and Aerospace Art Contest.
In celebration of the NASA MARS 2020 Mission Perseverance Rover, the theme of the inaugural contest for the 2020–2021 academic year is Mission to Mars. Set to launch the week of September 7, the contest is open to all students in Bexar, Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina and Wilson counties.
“We are excited to partner with the Dee Howard Foundation and other organizations for this unique art contest,” JoAnn Browning, dean of UTSA’s College of Engineering said. “Our hope is to engage students about aerospace and engineering in a fun and creative way.”
The contest invites all students pre-K–12, including those from charter schools, private schools, schools on military bases and being home-schooled, to use their creativity to envision what a human settlement on Mars would look like to them. Deadline for submission of all artwork is December 18.
Prizes will be awarded to the first-, second- and third-place winners of four categories: pre-K to second grades; third to fifth grades; sixth to eighth grades; and ninth to 12th grades, with certificates of participation awarded to all entries. In addition to prizes the Wayne and Julie Fagan Family Foundation has awarded a grant of $4,000 to the contest to be used to help support pre-K–12 fine arts programs. All schools that participate in the contest will be eligible to be considered for a grant.
“It is important that we not only encourage interest in aviation, aerospace and engineering but support the art and creativity that go hand in hand with engaging future leaders in the field,” said Wayne Fagan, chair of the Dee Howard Foundation. “With this donation the Wayne and Julie Fagan Family Foundation is committed to supporting the success of students and their schools.”
As an added highlight, students will be “led” on their Mission to Mars by the honorary mission commander, Bernard A. Harris Jr. A veteran astronaut, Harris has logged more than 438 hours and traveled over 7.2 million miles in space. He was the first African American to complete a spacewalk.
“We are honored to have Dr. Harris as our honorary mission commander,” Fagan said. “Together with Dr. Harris and our cooperating partners, we have a comprehensive, enthusiastic and experienced team of experts to lead our Mission to Mars.”
Cooperating organizations of the contest include the City of San Antonio Aviation Department, Port San Antonio, The Doseum, Communities in Schools of San Antonio, San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology, Women in Aviation Alamo City Chapter, San Antonio Chapter–Tuskegee Airman Inc., Scobee Education Center, Girls Inc., Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, Pre-K4SA, U.S. Air Force and the WEX Foundation.
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Each fall and spring semester, students convene at the Main Campus at UTSA with booths, ideas and prototypes. A crowd of judges, local organizations, students, faculty and sponsors walk around and talk to the students about their projects and ask questions. Students get the real-life experience of "pitching" their project with hopes of getting funding or support to move to the next level.
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