The Ducks will host their largest S.C.O.R.E. (Scholastic Curriculum of Recreation & Education) event of the year, the 23rd annual First Flight Field Trip this Tuesday, Feb. 27 at Honda Center from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Nearly 15,000 local elementary students (grades 3-6) from more than 150 schools will converge upon Honda Center for a day of education and hockey, all based on this year's theme of "Build a Better Puck." The award-winning educational program will place an emphasis on the properties of a hockey puck, showcasing the science behind the engineering process. Special guests for the First Flight Field Trip include appearances from Anaheim Ducks players and mascot Wild Wing.
Students will have the opportunity to watch the Anaheim Ducks practice on the ice at the club’s home arena. Following practice, players will lead on-ice activities demonstrating how the shape, volume and material of a puck effect the game of hockey. First Flight encourages students to engage in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through a variety of activities and demonstrations. STEM education is a fundamental part of the Anaheim Ducks S.C.O.R.E. program and is utilized to ignite students' interest and passion in the STEM fields.
During the First Flight Field Trip, students will refer to a workbook which explores how STEM based concepts affect their daily lives, connecting those examples to Anaheim Ducks game-specific scenarios. With the combination of the First Flight workbook, “Build a Better Puck,” classroom kit and live demonstrations with players, students will learn how the properties of the puck effect stickhandling, shooting and passing on the ice. The Ducks have also partnered with several local educational organizations and civic-minded corporations to supplement lessons found in the First Flight workbook (a complete list of participants is included below).
Recognized as an educational event for all ages by the California State Assembly and as a contributor to informal education by the National Science Teachers' Association, the First Flight Field Trip is completely free to participating schools and students, and the curriculum has been designed to meet the state's educational content standards for grades 3-6. The S.C.O.R.E. program is the primary beneficiary of the Anaheim Ducks Foundation. It was developed in 2005 with the goal of promoting and cultivating healthy living and academic excellence to all students in Southern California. Students and teachers will travel from as far away as the Mojave Desert and Imperial Valley for this one-of-a-kind educational experience.
For more information regarding the First Flight Field Trip, please visit DucksScore.com.
The following educational organizations, corporations and volunteer groups have helped to make the First Flight Field Trip possible:
- Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)
- Orange County Waste & Recycling
- Orange Coast College
- California State University, Fullerton
- Chapman University
- Discovery Cube OC & LA
- Future Goals – Hockey Scholar (Everfi)
- Orange County Department of Education
- Bauer
- PBS SoCal
