Richland One families can watch a helicopter land and participate in hands-on aerospace and STEM activities during a community event hosted by the district’s BLAST (Building Lasting Aerospace and STEM Trajectories) magnet programs.
The free event will take place Thursday, January 23 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Watkins-Nance Elementary School
(2525 Barhamville Road, Columbia, SC 29204).
The event will kick off at 4 {: } 3 0 \mathrm { p. m } . with a helicopter landing outside the school. The landing is being organized by the Celebrate Freedom Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)-focused educational programs and opportunities.
The event will also feature flight simulators, a drone cage and STEM demonstrations.
Parents will be able to attend in-person information sessions about the elementary school BLAST, middle school BLAST and high school national defense magnet programs at the event. These sessions will count as the mandatory information sessions parents need to attend
to enroll their children in the BLAST magnet programs for the 2025-2026 school year.
Applications for students to enroll in Richland One magnet choice programs, including the BLAST programs, are due January 31.
To learn more about Richland One’s magnet choice programs and apply, go to www. RichlandOne.org/choice
