The best part is that you don ’ t have to be a science genius to participate . EPIC has students of all skill levels as well as budding engineers and creative thinkers . “ What ’ s more important than a student ’ s skill level is their curiosity and perseverance to get their EPIC airplanes to fly ,” says middle school special education teacher and EPIC coach Jessica Van Son . “ What I love most about EPIC as a teacher is it challenges students to constantly troubleshoot and improve their designs to be the most successful at playing that year ’ s game .”
After teams design , build and test their airplanes they are invited to a regional EPIC Fly-Off , held at the Museum of Flight in Seattle , where they compete against other teams to see who can be the most successful at playing that year ’ s game . Along with being required to fly their airplanes and play the game , teams are also required to show what they have learned through a display board . Display boards show a team ’ s ability to document their work as well as summarize their understanding and share their design decisions . Forty-seven teams participated in the 2024 game , Easy Glider , which challenged teams to glide for the longest amount of time while carrying a cargo crate .
Come Fly With Us !
Excited to play ? Here ’ s how to get started with EPIC :
1 . Check out the gameplay packet : Learn more about how EPIC works and read the design requirements for this year ’ s game . ( New games launch each spring .)
2 . Brainstorm your design : Assemble your team , put on your thinking caps and sketch out your airplane ideas .
3 . Build your airplane : Gain hands-on experience by constructing your own electric-powered airplane .
4 . Time for flight testing : Practice flying your airplane and see how well your team can play this year ’ s game .
5 . Participate in a Fly-Off : Show off your skills and potentially win some cool prizes .
SPRING 2025 — ISSUE NO . 10 31