EXPERIENCE NORTHLAND

WE INVITE YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS TO JOIN US AND EXPERIENCE NORTHLAND PROGRAMS IN THIEF RIVER FALLS!!

Join us on November 7, 2024 for Experience Northland!

Brought to you by Northland and the National Center for Autonomous Technologies (NCAT), Experience Northland is open to all students (grades 7-12) and teachers. It offers a large variety of 50-minute hands-on learning activities directly related to Northland programs. Schools/students can choose to attend one session or make it a day-trip and attend sessions throughout the day.

All sessions are 100% cost-free! Register as soon as possible. Last year's events filled up quickly.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Northland/NCAT team directly at ncat@northlandcollege.edu.

Aerospace Workshops

Workshop A - Fundamentals of Composites (2-Hours) - Composites Lab
Advanced composites are becoming more and more common in a wide variety of industries these days. Once found primarily on military and commercial aircraft, materials like carbon fiber, Kevlar, and glass fiber can now be found on unmanned aerial systems, wind turbine blades, automobiles, trains, and a host of other products we see and use every day. We will conduct a 2-hour hands-on course designed to impart basic knowledge of composites materials and help students understand some of the industrial applications of these amazingly strong and lightweight materials. This workshop includes a lab activity - assembly of a composite part that students will get to take home.

Workshop B - Discover Northland Aerospace I - Swenson Hangar
Come on in and discover what Northland Aerospace campus has to offer. Our 86,000 square foot facility features a state-of-the-art hangar, housing over 20 aircraft including a DC-9 that was owned and donated by the Detroit Pistons NBA team! Hop inside the cockpit of an aircraft, become an AMT student through a hands-on activities, such as riveting and sheet metal. Do you think you have what it takes to be a technician for autonomous systems? We do! Dive into the world of virtual reality and test your flight skills by flying a drone through the Aerial Drone Competition course. Learn how all these activities directly tie to programs that Northland Aerospace has to offer.

Workshop C - STEAM Electrical and Automation - Classroom 28
Are you interested in electronics and automation? If so, this is the class for you! Students will be able to choose from multiple activities such as working with Arduino, programmable logic controllers, configuring networks, and learning how to operate a skillboss.

Workshop D - Discover Industrial Design - Classroom 31
How companies bring a product or vehicle to life. Do you like to be creative? Do you like problem solving? Are you interested in a job that has opportunities in your hometown and all over the world? In this intro, we look at how companies (such as Dyson, Arctic Cat, Polaris, Lamborghini, Apple and Coca Cola) use the creative process and industrial design to set themselves apart to create great products that we interact with every day. Students will be guided through the initial steps of bringing an idea to life through sketching, clay modeling, and physical model making.

Workshop E - Real Flight and Flight Simulators - Classroom 5-6
Are you ready to learn how to take off into the wild blue sky? With our variety of flight simulators, you can come get a feel for flight. Also in this class, you will learn the basics of flight, including the use of the instrument panel, how to read the instruments, takeoff and landing procedures, and other interesting rules of the air.

Workshop F - A Day in the Life of an Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) - Classroom 8
Curious what an AMT does on a typical day? Join us to see for yourself! Learn about jobs and current salaries in our area and around the United States. Learn what the expectations are of students in the Northland AMT program and in the workforce. This session will wrap up with a Q&A and an overview of how a turbine engine works, including an explanation of the differences between turbine and reciprocating aircraft engines.

Workshop G - Build a NewBee Drone (2-Hours) - Classroom 9
In this fun class, you will learn how to build, fly and disassemble a NewBee drone! NewBees are personal-sized drones that are perfect for both new flyers and experienced pilots. To learn more about NewBee drones, visit their online store here.

Workshop H - DroneTech World of Drones - Classroom 10
Experience the exciting world of Drones! Did you know that drones are no longer just used for recreation? More and more, we are finding ways that drones can be of use to us and make life easier. In DroneTech World of Drones, learn how drones in the air, on the land, and in the sea are helping our lives and the world around us. Work with your team to design a drone that will help solve a problem, meet a critical need, or expand what is possible.

Workshop I - Electronics Concepts with Spintronics - Classroom 11
Join us for the opportunity to understand electronics and computing in a whole new way. Rather than tell you what's happening in a circuit, let us show you with Spintronics. Feel the resistance, feel the pull of voltage, and watch the current flow. This hands-on activity is fun and easy and is an excellent way to learn engineering concepts!

Workshop J - Learning to Solder - Build a Bug - Classroom 12
Are you interested in soldering but don’t know how to get started? We can teach you! This hands-on lesson is made even more impactful with a soldering board that lights up to signify how much light is getting to the photosensor. With this new-found skill, you can begin the path towards careers in jewelry, electronics, air conditioning and heating, sheet metal work, and much more!

Would you like to explore exciting STEM careers? New this year to Experience Northland is our Mini Career Fair! We are pleased to welcome area companies with a variety of STEM careers available, including designing aircraft, maintaining drones, flight instruction, and much more!

  • ARC
    Gain a highly desirable skillset in only 2 years with Northland’s Mechatronics A.A.S. program. The Advanced Resource Center for Innovation and Education (ARC) located in Warroad, MN collaborates with Northland and is a dedicated resource bringing advanced manufacturing education and skill development to people and industry in northwest Minnesota. For more information, visit ARC

  • Bismarck Aero Center
    We are the region’s largest aircraft maintenance and avionics facility with a variety of career opportunities. With 80,000 square feet of hangar space and a full maintenance shop, we have space for top aviation technicians to show off their skills. For more information, visit Bismarck Aero

  • Central Boiler
    Central Boiler was established in 1984 in Dennis Brazier’s little workshop near Greenbush, Minnesota and has grown into a 300,000 square foot facility manufacturing outdoor wood furnaces. Our technological-advanced heating system is sold all over the United States and Canada. Central Boiler relies on mechanical engineers, industrial engineers and technology, as well as engineering technicians and robot/laser programmers to design and create our popular heating systems. For more information, visit Central Boiler

  • Cirrus Aircraft
    Cirrus Aircraft is an aviation company with careers in flight instruction, A&P mechanics, and aircraft production, constructing world-renowned aircraft. For more career information, visit Cirrus Aircraft

  • Fargo Jet Center
    Whether you are interested in aircraft sales, maintenance, charter services and management, or more, we have opportunities for you at Fargo Jet Center. Based out of Hector International Airport in Fargo and with sister companies in Eden Prairie, MN, you can live the midwestern life and enjoy an aerospace career. For more about us, visit Fargo Jet Center

  • Northrop Grumman
    Northrop Grumman is a global technology company with careers in designing aircraft, digital tech, or even building spacecraft. You could join our team of 95,000 employees with careers across all domains: air, land, sea, cyber, and even space. Join us at Northrop Grumman and make a difference in our world. For more career information visit Northrop Grumman Careers

  • Wipaire
    In 2020, Wipaire celebrated 60 years of building Wipline floats! If you are interested in seaplanes, this could be your niche. You could be a part of this amazing historical yet innovative company by joining the engineering and maintenance team for the Wipline 8750. For more information regarding careers, visit Wipaire

  • Experience Northland Aerospace workshops will kick-off at 9:00AM and run on the top of each hour until 2:00PM. We ask that you arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the activity start-time to allow enough time for check-in.

    Example schedule for a full-day of activities:
    8:30 - 9:00   Students arrive/Check-In and Career Fair
    9:10 - 10:00   Design an Aircraft with Flite Test
    10:10 - 11:00  Electronics Concepts with Spintronics
    11:00 - 12:00   Lunch (Meal Provided)
    12:10 - 1:00   Discover Northland Aerospace I - Think Autonomous
    1:10 - 2:00   Fundamentals of Composites (2-hour workshop)
    2:00 - 2:30   Career Fair

    This schedule shows an example of a school/student who participates in a full-day of workshops. Participation in all workshops is not required. If your school/student can only participate in one workshop throughout the day, simply register for that hour/workshop only.

    We ask that if you plan to bring a group of students, each student should be registered for a workshop during each 50-minute block during the time they are present. We want to ensure all students who attend are also participating in the workshops.

    Registration for the event will open mid September. If you are interested in registering for this event, please email NCAT@northlandcollege.edu for more information.

    NCTC Aerospace Campus -- located next to the Thief River Falls Regional Airport.
    13892 Airport Drive
    Thief River Falls, MN 56701

    Please park in the East Parking Lot (next to the highway) and use the East Entrance.

    If you need accommodations to attend this event, please contact us as soon as possible.

    Megan Hall
    Office Administrative Specialist| NCAT
    (218) 683-8826
    megan.hall@northlandcollege.edu

    Did you know?

    Experience Northland Aerospace derives from a large-scale Experience STEAM event that was hosted by the National Center for Autonomous Technologies (NCAT) and Northland Community and Technical College at Mall of America in August 2022. This was an event set to inspire social and economic mobility enabled by access to opportunities inspiring students to consider emerging technology and technician career fields. The NCAT and Northland team took that vision and have replicated it to serve our own community.
    About Experience STEAM at Mall of America
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