When Carrina Stanton mentioned the Civil Air Patrol was coming to Orin Smith Elementary and that hovercrafts were involved, my imagination went wild. I pictured giant, car-sized hovercrafts gliding across the campus, packed with excited students. Could this finally be the day my childhood dream of riding in a hovercraft came true?
But as I pulled into the parking lot… no hovercrafts. Okay, I thought, maybe they’re Go-Kart sized and zipping around the gym. Still cool.
Then I walked into Room 401 and saw the Civil Air Patrol cadets giving a PowerPoint presentation on hovercrafts. Cue the sad trombone: womp womp womp.
But just as I began to wonder what I’d walked into, the real fun started. After recess, the students returned and dove into building their own miniature hovercrafts using CDs, balloons, and nozzle caps. Suddenly, the room was buzzing with creativity, problem-solving, and a whole lot of excitement.
No, I didn’t get to ride in a full-sized hovercraft—but I did get to watch students light up as they brought science to life with their own hands. And honestly? That was even better.