IACMI has been honored with the American Composites Manufacturing Association (ACE) Infinite Possibility for Market Growth Award at the 2024 Composites and Advanced Materials Expo (CAMX) on Tuesday.
This prestigious recognition celebrates InnoCrate, IACMI’s comprehensive educational toolkit designed to introduce composites to students at K-12 levels, aiming to shape the next generation of engineers, designers, and innovators. The project was represented by IACMI CTO Uday Vaidya and a team of students from the University of Tennessee’s Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility.
Developed by IACMI, InnoCrate is a kit of ‘learn by doing’ educational content packaged in a flexible format tailored for various grade levels, from elementary through high school. It includes a wide range of elements, such as training for educators, hands-on activities, activity books, virtual reality (VR) assistance, web-based training, and a flexible curriculum designed to engage young minds with composites in an interactive and accessible way. To date, over 2,000 students have benefitted from this initiative, gaining critical exposure to the field of composites at an early and formative stage of their education.
“Exposure to composites is crucial for shaping future career pathways, yet it often starts far too late,” said Vaidya. “InnoCrate is designed to change that by bringing composites education into classrooms at all grade levels, providing hands-on, engaging learning experiences that spark curiosity and inspire the next generation. We are thrilled to receive this award, which validates our efforts to revolutionize how young people learn about and engage with composites.”