Honeywell Leadership Challenge, 2017
Honeywell is bringing 320 students from 45 countries and 27 U.S. states and territories to attend the Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy this year. As part of this leadership program, Honeywell will host students for two consecutive, weeklong programs, in February and March this year, at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) in Huntsville, Alabama.
The Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy has a goal of encouraging excitement and engagement around Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects. The program is aimed at students aged between the ages of 16-18. The student’s time at the academy will be packed with hands-on activities like building and testing rockets, simulated astronaut training, shuttle missions, and a moon walk. The program aims to educate students on the importance of STEM in our constantly changing, connected world.
Combining science with friendship and fun
Ashley Fitzpatrick, a student from New Mexico who attended the Academy in 2016 and is returning this year as a student ambassador, said: “We build and launch model rockets and learn that there are so many different types of engineering fields to pursue. It’s a growing field with a high demand for men and women. That really opened my eyes. What’s really great is that the program combines science and engineering with friendship and fun.”
This focus on STEM-based career opportunities is very important to the values of Honeywell and its employees. During the two-week program, astronauts and engineers will share their personal journeys and career experiences with students.
“The act of bringing this global Honeywell community together with Space Camp allows these students to plan for a future of improving life on our planet and beyond,” said Dr Deborah Barnhart, CEO and executive director, USSRC. “They bring the best of their diverse cultures to Space Camp, where they will use teamwork and technology to prepare them for a future they have yet to imagine.”
“Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy is designed to inspire students to become tomorrow’s science, math and engineering leaders,” said Michael A. Bennett, president, Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company’s corporate citizenship initiative. “We want to give these students a passion to fuel their generation’s technological contributions to the world.”
Academic achievement and community involvement
The Academy launched in 2010, during that time Honeywell, in partnership with the USSRC, has awarded 2,093 scholarships to students of Honeywell employees. The scholarships are granted after a rigorous application and review process which is based on academic achievement and community involvement. The scholarship proram is funded by financial contributions from Honeywell and its employees, covering the cost of tuition, meals, accommodations and program materials.
For more information about the Academy, visit http://leadership.honeywell.com/.
