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October has been an exciting month for the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada (RAMWC), as it was honoured with awards from two distinguished organizations in its community.
The museum received news in early October that it would be awarded the Outstanding Science Organization of 2023 by the Science Teachers’ Association of Manitoba (STAM). On Friday, Oct. 21, three museum educators attended a ceremony at Garden City Collegiate to accept the award from STAM president John Wren.
RAMWC’s curriculum-based STEM programs have been hugely popular since launching in September of 2022. These programs explore aviation and aerospace themes such as flight dynamics, engineering principles, alternative fuels, space travel, and more.
A key element of all the education programs at the RAMWC is engaging underrepresented groups, in particular Indigenous students and female students who have not traditionally had exposure to the aviation industry and related careers. The ability to be in a safe space learning new concepts and ideas can genuinely help these students see a new pathway to a career.
RAMWC also has a strong commitment to Museum Access-for-All.
“Our Access fund ensures that all students in Winnipeg have equal opportunity to learn about the fascinating world of aviation and aerospace through the programs we offer and the partnerships we hold,” said RAMWC president and CEO Terry Slobodian.
“The continued generosity of our community means that any student can explore and experience their potential in this sector. It truly opens the door to a world of possibilities.”
With six major school divisions in Winnipeg, participating students have logged hundreds of hours in RMAWC’s Take Flight! programs. For many students, the benefits of hands-on STEM programming at the RAMWC is a marked improvement in cognitive skill. They learn the importance of leadership and communication and how these can help them to achieve common goals.
At the Manitoba/Winnipeg Tourism Awards held Oct. 19, RAMWC was recognized as Winnipeg’s Business of the Year – Large. This award is given to a tourism business that exemplifies industry best practices in all aspects of its operations and is an example of all-round business excellence in the tourism industry.
The concept for the new Royal Aviation Museum was to be a world-class museum and community space dedicated to preserving and celebrating aviation history while educating, inspiring, and entertaining.
To achieve this, a diverse team of staff, volunteers, and experts worked tirelessly to develop new exhibits ahead of the museum’s reopening. Focus was placed on building story-centric exhibits with a new emphasis on the contributions of women and Indigenous peoples to Western Canada’s aviation history.
Events such as Wings and Wheels on Father’s Day and Halloween with Hobbs, held during RAMWC’s first year, saw huge attendance. Family-friendly programming during the winter break was extremely popular, drawing nearly 3,000 visitors over the course of a week. From opening in May through the end of the year, 80,000 visitors discovered the new museum.
Plans are in the works to bring in new aircraft, multi-language translations, as well as new exhibits and interactive displays.
This press release was prepared and distributed by the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada.
