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Air Force 'Collaboratory' Taps Young Creative Minds

By Dr. Marciene Mattleman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - As part of its recruiting efforts, the Air Force is announcing a new a digital program, Air Force Collaboratory, challenging young people to develop technologies for search-and-rescue operations in collapsed structures; to create a software code for a quadrotor, an unmanned aerial vehicle to determine where to place the newest GPS satellite.

It's hoped that it will attract the best and the brightest young men and women, 16-24 in STEM subjects - science, technology, engineering and math - to work with its airmen on these challenges.

One of the ads depicts an Air Force helicopter approaching the scene of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that has trapped dozens of survivors, with copy that starts with, "Your idea could save them."

The online program is described in The New York Times. High schoolers interested in problem solving, who still haven't determined their futures as well as college graduates, can learn more about the initiative at AirForce.com/collaborator.

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