Iowa students stand up with ideas for how Delta passengers can better sit down

CEDAR RAPIDS — Delta Air Lines turned to students for ideas on how to improve the airport gate experience for passengers, and the student finalists pitched their thoroughly-researched ideas Wednesday at The Eastern Iowa Airport — and more comfortable seating options won the day.

Students spent the last few weeks researching in preparation for pitching their ideas for a class called 3DE, or 3 Dimensional Education — a project-based learning program powered by Junior Achievement. It was launched locally in the College Community and Alburnett school districts this year.

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High school students in 3DE work in small-group teams to research, analyze and develop solutions to a challenge presented by a business. They receive coaching, hear advice and counsel from business professionals and then present their solutions to a panel of judges from the company for review and feedback.

The program brings a friendly, competitive spirit most often seen in high school athletics into the classroom, said Nate Klein, vice president of education and leadership at Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa.

The four groups, finalists from their schools, that presented Wednesday to a panel of judges — which included airport Director Marty Lenss and Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell — were just a few of the hundreds of ninth-graders across the two districts enrolled in 3DE.

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The Coe College hangar at the airport — where the culminating event was held — was packed with students and school and community leaders who came out to hear the finalists’ pitches. Students were enthusiastically engaged, responding to questions posed by the emcees and cheering after their classmates completed their presentations.

The winning group consisted of Alburnett High School freshmen Jassey Carter, 15, Kaitlyn Krohse and Ellie Schrader, both 14. They pitched an idea to add a variety of different, more comfortable seating options that are semiprivate, and tinted windows.

Jassey said their success proved that all the work and time they put into researching their solution and preparing for the presentation “paid off.” This included arriving to school at 7 a.m. the day of the presentation to rehearse.

Kaitlyn said in their 3DE class this year, teachers have been “genuinely excited” about the program. That enthusiasm translated into student engagement.

Students were “skeptical and a little annoyed we’d have to do more work” at the beginning of the year, Kaitlyn said. “But everyone’s seen the growth we had from the first case challenge to this case challenge.”

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Each group’s presentation was about five minutes and included a cost analysis and the reasoning behind how the proposed solution would give Delta customers a better gate experience.

Their solutions included airport libraries with books and board games for kids; apps that allowed customers to play games and earn Delta miles and free food; snack bars; and portable desks.

Mya Holsinger, 15, another student from Alburnett who presented Wednesday with her group, said her experience in 3DE has taught her to be a more effective public speaker and more confident leader.

She’s also learning how to identify and lean into her own “talents” and those of her teammates, Mya said. She worked with Isabella Bohl, 14, and Myleigh French, 15, on the question posed to them by Delta.

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