Akron-Canton Airport has partnered with the Akron Children’s Museum to create a permanent installation at the airport that teaches children about careers in aviation through colorful, friendly monsters.
“We know that it's so important to reach kids at a young age to get them engaged and interested in what their future could look like,” said Lisa Dalpiaz, the vice president of air service and business at Akron-Canton Airport.
While the airport and museum have had a long partnership including sponsorships and the museum’s involvement with a trick-or-treat in the terminal event, this is the first permanent exhibit.
It is a scavenger hunt for nine large-scale monsters placed on the walls throughout the airport’s terminal. Each monster is accompanied by a QR code children can scan to learn more about a job within the airport or on the airfield. The jobs range from ticketing officer and policeman to air traffic controller and pilot.
The activity is educational and entertaining, Dalpiaz said.
“It also gives them something to do while they're waiting on their airplane and maybe get some energy out before they get on their way to the trip,” she added.
This is not the first time the airport has partnered with a museum. Past collaborators include the MAPS Air Museum, the First Ladies National Historical Site and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The airport likes to partner with the community to engage with travelers since the airport is the first place they experience, Dalpiaz said.
Most recently, Hartville Honeybee Farm brought 60 bee colonies onto airport property this spring. Now the airport is home is 76 colonies, Dalpiaz reported.
“We know that this is the first look in the community for a lot of folks who are coming in, so we definitely want them to have a sense of place,” she said, “And this is just a really great way to do so.”
