Donations descend on Flory

By Zia Zografos

zia@theacorn.com

SHOW AND TELL—Matt Keennon, an engineer with AeroVironment, pilots Ingenuity, a replica of the helicopter flown on Mars, for students at Flory Academy of Sciences and Technology in Moorpark. Courtesy of AeroVironment

A Virginia-based aerospace and defense company will donate classroom equipment, new school artwork and resources to further enhance its curriculum and extracurricular activities at Flory Academy of Sciences and Technology in Moorpark.

The engineering company, Aero- Vironment, has more than 1,000 employees in Moorpark and surrounding communities and is best known for manufacturing unmanned aerial vehicles.

AeroVironment and MUSD hope the ongoing partnership will advance STEM education and empower the next generation of engineers and scientists.

"AeroVironment has been donating and supporting events to different schools throughout our history," said James Dearborn, head of talent acquisition. "Within the last few years, we have created a community outreach team called IMPACT! that has centralized this effort throughout the organization."

The company hosted an April 23 assembly at Flory to show students an identical model of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter that AeroVironment's team of engineers helped design alongside engineers at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, according to MUSD Public Information Officer Daniel Wolowicz.

The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was carried by the Mars rover Perseverance, which landed on Mars in 2021 and performed its final flight Jan. 18. The helicopter was the first rotorcraft to take flight on another celestial body, according to AeroVironment.

"Designed for a five-flight technology demonstration, Ingenuity far exceeded expectations by successfully completing an astounding 72 flights before retiring in Martian soil," the company said.

Flory Principal Juana Villa Granados said she is excited that students will have the opportunity to meet engineers and apply what they are learning in the classroom to future career opportunities.

"Our community should know that giving back is an important part of our company's values," Dearborn said. "We want to provide the students of Flory with additional resources to continue to cultivate their interest in a STEM education."