Northwest Aerospace News April | May 2019 Issue No. 8 | Page 56

A
ttended by members of the chapter’s
board of directors, these events feature
selections of local beer and wine, as well
as hors d’oeuvres — creating the perfect
environment to reconnect with friends and
colleagues and to get to know new people
in the industry. They will often include
brief presentations from local experts,
keeping participants up-to-date on the
latest developments.
These events also include a presentation
from a local group of STEM students
working on an especially interesting
project in drones or robotics. This
provides these young people with valuable
experience in public speaking — and
valuable exposure to potential mentors or
future employers.
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NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS
Focus on the Future
Nearly half of the AUVSI Cascade Chapter’s annual budget is dedicated to
scholarships and grants for students who are studying STEM subjects, or
supporting community initiatives that encourage interest among young people
in subjects such as robotics and unmanned aviation.
The chapter’s board of directors encourages teachers and other professionals
who work with students to apply for grants with basic information about their
organization — such as its name, telephone number, address and website — as
well as a budget describing how the award money will be used and the expected
outcome. The process is deliberately informal, to ensure that paperwork is
never a barrier to supporting and inspiring students.
Individual grant awards are modest: the largest ever approved by the chapter
was for $1,000, and typical amounts range between $250 and $500. This
has allowed the chapter to leverage partnerships with other organizations
to maximize the impact of its contributions while ensuring that funding is
available for promising new opportunities.