Lake Nona High science students treated to 'Classroom Takeover' by Lockheed Martin engineers

ORLANDO, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - Students in Lake Nona High School’s honor physics class were surprised Thursday with new 3D printer and classroom takeover by Lockheed Martin and Discovery Education.

During the event, engineers talked about STEM careers and demonstrated locally-built innovations like exoskeleton technology. The goal was to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and technologists.

“I had an idea but I was really amazed,” said senior Gabriel Luyanda.

Students spent the day taking aerospace models they developed for disaster relief and turning them into 3D models using clay, wire and aluminum foil.

Luyanda’s team created a hybrid airship, which is a blimp and helicopter in one.

“It makes it easier to transport materials and supplies to places that it would be a lot harder to go normally.”

Luyanda said after an earthquake, hurricane or natural disaster the hybrid airship, “will be able to carry food, water, first aid supplies, blankets, tents.”

Physics teacher Kristine Richards said the take-over event helped her students learn how to relate lessons in class to real-life situations.

“They’re seeing what the engineering design process looks like, taking the brainstorming, to the design process to the 3d modeling… so they’re going to walk away with this knowledge,” she said.

“STEM is an exciting field that has a lot of opportunities and we’re definitely looking forward to people joining the fray of this incredible field,” said Gavin Barnes, the lead engineer for Lockheed Martin’s Exoskeleton Technologies Program.

Lockheed Martin officials said they currently have one-thousand job openings around the area and they’re hoping to encourage students to make a career in STEM.

The project called, Designed for Service, is part of a larger program called Generation Beyond.

Lockheed Martin launched the program in 2016 in partnership with Discovery Education. Discovery Education said it is a leading provider of digital curriculum resources and professional development for K-12 classrooms.