CDC children take to the sky

  • Published
  • By Airman Allison M. Boehm
  • 2d Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  The children at Barksdale's Child Development Center became 'pilots' Jan. 20 after helping construct a 9-foot cardboard model of a B-52 Stratofortress.
 
The idea for the project was sparked in the classroom for two-year-old children when toddler Tyler Chamberlain, father is a B-52 pilot, chattered about planes. 

"Tyler wants to be just like his dad," said Lt. Col. Elizabeth Chamberlain, 9177th Wing intelligence chief and Tyler's Mother. "Tyler can identify several kinds of aircraft, of course his favorite is the B-52, and he loves to point them out." 

Tyler's teacher picked up on his constant talk about planes. She decided to get the kids involved by making a long-term project of building an airplane they could play in. 

"Tyler's teacher got the kids excited to the idea of building a plane," said Betsy Welch, director of the CDC. "She used sound affects compact discs for airplane sounds for the children to listen to and also would have the class watch planes fly on base and discuss them for the past several weeks building up to constructing the airplane." 

In the middle of the project Tyler turned three, so both the two-year-old class and the three to five-year-old class became involved in the venture. Once the children became excited to start the project, they began collecting boxes for the mission. 

Although the young students were not old enough to piece the plane together themselves, they were involved in each step of the process. 

Over a two-week span, the kids painted the boxes they decorated the tail, nose art and wings to resemble a B-52. 

Once the painting was complete, Tyler's parents, along with pilots from base, came to the class to begin constructing the plane. As the crew pieced together the plane, the children found ways to stay a part of the project. 

"They were so excited," said Ms. Welch. "The crew brought their flight helmets for the kids to see and allowed them to help hold boxes in place as they taped them up. All of the kids were just ecstatic; they were fascinated looking at the different pieces and identifying what they were as it was built." 

After 45 minutes of taping, the 9-foot BUFF was completed. 

"Some of the kids were so excited and wanted to jump right in there and some were surprisingly shy," said Colonel Chamberlain. "But in the end everyone was waiting to take their turn 'flying' the BUFF and that was sweetly rewarding." 

The CDC plans on keeping the project until if falls apart. 

"The plane is in a vacant classroom so we bring in kids one class at a time to play with it and use their creativity," said Ms. Welch. "The kids even bring in play suitcases and practice boarding the plane." 

The airplane project is one of many parent-involvement activities the CDC encourages. 

"I want to ensure that I show my child and the other kids how much I respect the educators at the CDC," said Colonel Chamberlain. "Parents can play an important role in reinforcing the value of school, teachers and learning by being involved at the CDC and the earlier we start playing a role the more impact it will have on our children and the other children around us." 

For more information about the programs offered at the CDC, contact Betsy Welch at 456-4139.