Grand Rapids, Mich. – Ready to put your imagination into flight and compete for up to $1,000 in prizes? Michigan students in grades 4–8 are invited to dream big, get creative, and design a solution to a real-world challenge in the Fifth Annual Michigan Youth Future Flight Challenge (MYFFC). This free, statewide virtual aerospace design competition, taking place October 17–November 14, 2026, gives young innovators the tools, guidance, and inspiration to turn their ideas into flight-ready concepts and compete for top awards.
Over the four weeks, teams of 2–6 students will research, design, prototype, and present an original flight solution addressing a community, future, or space challenge. Along the way, students will connect with aerospace professionals from their communities in fields including engineering, manufacturing, business, marketing, and more—discovering how different skills and perspectives come together to solve problems.
“MYFFC gives students the opportunity to step into the role of an innovator,” said Nora Bylsma, Integrator and Project Manager at Array of Engineers and Co-Chair of the Michigan Youth Future Flight Challenge. “They explore a real-world challenge, develop their own ideas, and see those ideas take shape. Along the way, they discover how their interests and talents can connect to exciting opportunities in aerospace.”
Every participating team receives a Team Resource Kit, made possible through generous support from the Toni A. Wisne Foundation and the Eaton Charitable Fund.
Kits include:
• Craft and prototyping supplies for building and testing ideas
• Circuit kits to explore electronics and add functionality to projects
• Engineer notebooks and pens for documenting research, sketches, testing, and design decisions
• Innovation and design resources to guide students throughout the challenge
The kits help make MYFFC a truly hands-on experience where students can design, build, experiment, test, and improve their ideas.
Students build skills in engineering, design, business, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving while gaining firsthand insight into aerospace careers. Because MYFFC is free and completely virtual, students from across Michigan can participate. Students have the opportunity to use their prize money for additional STEM camps or educational experiences.
“One of the most exciting parts of MYFFC is watching students take an idea from a sketch to something they can build and share,” said Lissa Barron, Director of Communications at Barron Industries and Co-Chair of the Michigan Youth Future Flight Challenge. “The experience challenges them to think creatively, work together, and see how teamwork can turn different skills and ideas into one innovative solution.”
Over the past four years, MYFFC has engaged more than 300 students on 99 teams representing over 70 Michigan communities. Now in its fifth year, the challenge continues to connect students with aerospace through hands-on learning, industry mentorship, teamwork, and real-world problem-solving.
The Michigan Youth Future Flight Challenge is organized by the Women of the Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan (WAIAM) and supported by the AIAM Foundation as part of its mission to strengthen Michigan’s future aerospace workforce through education, mentorship, and career exploration.
Learn more and register: https://aiamnow.com/women-of-aiam/
