WACO’s existing education programs were developed to help meet the need for STEM-related learning and filled quickly, creating the need for more space. This year, there were 10,000 hours of instruction for 2,000 participants, said Nancy Royer, WACO executive director.
“Current STEM-related programs, which will significantly benefit from the new facility, include UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) instruction and operation, robotics courses and teams who compete, the Aviation Cadet program, young engineering opportunities, STEM summer camps, and other unique learning programming,” she said.
The museum and learning center carry the name of WACO Aircraft Co. of Troy, which was the largest manufacturer of civil aircraft in the country in the 1920s and early 1930s. WACO also built gliders during World War II.
The learning center project was initiated by a $1 million gift from Troy’s Pat and Thom Robinson. Work, however, was slowed and then stopped due to a combination of the original campaign’s shortfall, prolonged closure issues due to COVID and increased construction costs.
The organization has experienced a 35-50 percent increase in construction costs depending on the trade, since the beginning of the project, Royer said.
With initiation of the WACO Wings and Dreams Campaign has come the hook-up of the water line to the new 17,000 square-foot building.
Among exterior work remaining is grading for sidewalks for ADA compliance, concrete work, parking lot expansion, awning, signage, lighting, landscape design and landscaping. Interior finishes including flooring, paint, drop ceilings, cabinetry, and the kitchen and bathroom fixture remain to be completed — along with an office, lobby, STEM classrooms and robotics lab. Technology needs will include security, sound and projection systems, cameras and others.
The WACO Historical Society celebrated the 100th anniversary of the WACO Aircraft Co. with a series of events in 2023.
Anyone interested in more information about the WACO Wings and Dreams Campaign and the education facility project can stop by WACO, or contact Royer at 937-335-9226 or at execdir@wacoairmuseum.org.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
About the Author