Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance Teaching Kids Through Siegfried Kite Festival

The Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance (TRSA) is helping kids soar to new heights through kite making.

It starts with the question, what makes a kite fly?

Senior Program Manager for the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance, Melissa Cobb, can answer that in four words.

"There is lift, drag, thrust, and gravity," she continued saying, "In order to keep your kite floating in the air, you have to balance all of those forces."

This free learning opportunity is open to everyone at the final Siegfried Kite Festival of the season on Saturday, August 24.

"We do not think that anybody should have to pay for a high-quality STEM activity," Cobb said. "All of our events are free for anybody that wants to participate."

Each participant is given a kite kit made up of a few simple materials.

"We have what is basically a plastic bag that is in kite shape, some wooden dowels, some string, and some streamers for a tail," Cobb continued, saying, "We also have markers and tape so that people can decorate their kites however they want."

A creative process that requires problem-solving and critical thinking.

"If your kite is moving a little too much, maybe you need more drag. If it is not getting up in the air, maybe you need more lift," Cobb said.

Siegfried Kite Festival is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on August 24 at the South County Recreation Center at 13800 S Peoria Ave.

It is only one of several STEM-focused events that the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance organizes throughout the year. The next one is Siegfried Space Week from October 7-11.

For more information visit their website here.