Boeing resumes 787 deliveries
Deliveries resume following several months of rigorous engineering analysis, inspection and as-needed rework
Boeing resumed 787 deliveries in March following several months of rigorous engineering analysis, inspection and as-needed rework to ensure that every airplane delivered meets all regulatory requirements and the company’s highest quality standards.
Verification work continues in Everett, Washington, and North Charleston, South Carolina. Lane Ballard, vice president and general manager of the 787 program and Boeing South Carolina site leader, encouraged teammates to “stay focused on safety as we deliver exceptional quality and value to our customers.”
New Virtual DreamLearners program launches across South Carolina
What is STEM-based, focused on the workforce of tomorrow, and has inspired nearly one million South Carolina participants? The Boeing South Carolina (BSC) DreamLearners program.
The program, started in 2012, was built on bringing local students to BSC to learn about Boeing’s presence in South Carolina and advanced manufacturing. Students are able to participate in a hands-on group activity, discover different careers at Boeing, and much more. DreamLearners has evolved over the years to support the ever-changing STEM-based curricula across South Carolina and the needs of the community.
Now, the program is adapting once again. With on-site programs postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, DreamLearners is now offering virtual options.
Educators can choose from several options, including:
- Virtual DreamLearners, which is hosted by a teammate and includes a virtual tour of BSC and a paper airplane activity;
- Virtual DreamLearners Speakers Bureau, which is hosted by a teammate to explain their career at Boeing, and also includes the option to participate in a STEM-based activity;
- In-Classroom DreamLearners, which can be downloaded by an educator, parent or group leader to conduct the paper airplane activity without the presence of a Boeing teammate
“We continue to be honored to offer DreamLearners to a growing number of students each year,” said Lane Ballard, vice president and general manager of the 787 program and BSC site leader. “By adding these virtual options, we can expand our reach even further across South Carolina to inspire and encourage students to pursue a STEM-based education and maybe one day join our team.”
As of March 2021, more than 850,000 South Carolina students and community members have participated in DreamLearners. Today’s program is designed to meet the Force and Motion standards for 5th grade students and is available to all students across the state.
Frank Hatten, BSC Education Relations Specialist, has been helping lead the DreamLearners program from the beginning. He is well-known across the state for educating and inspiring youth through his volunteer efforts. He will continue his involvement by facilitating some of the virtual DreamLearners sessions.
For more information about the Virtual DreamLearners programs, click here.
Nearly 2,000 vaccine doses administered during event at BSC
Thanks to the partnership with the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA) and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC Health).
Nearly 2,000 Lowcountry manufacturers and members of the community received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine during a drive-through clinic on March 25 at Boeing South Carolina.
“Working together to ensure as many South Carolinians receive the vaccine as possible is the right step in protecting our communities and families,” said Lane Ballard, vice president and general manager of the 787 program and Boeing South Carolina site leader. “We are incredibly grateful to SCMA, MUSC Health, and the local manufacturing community for coming together and working to ensure our teammates receive the vaccine and remain healthy.”
South Carolina Racial Justice Network Awards Boeing the Martin Luther King Jr. Corporate Award
In February, The South Carolina Racial Justice Network announced Boeing as the 2021 recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Corporate Award.
The group chose Boeing as the recipient of the award, in part, due to the following:
- Boeing’s commitment to growing a diverse and inclusive workforce and facilitating internal programs that provide personal and professional growth opportunities for teammates. Boeing has also taken strategic steps to ensure that its leadership teams – in South Carolina and other locations across the globe – reflect the diverse communities where the company operates.
- Boeing’s commitment to advancing racial equity and social justice through philanthropic support, volunteer efforts and community leadership. Over the past five years, Boeing has invested more than $17 million to support programs that help educate, mentor and develop men and women from minority communities in South Carolina. And just last year, Boeing invested more than $4.6 million in programs across the state focused on racial equity and serving communities of color.
- Boeing’s strong partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities in South Carolina, including supporting numerous student internships, student and faculty capstone projects and engagements with Boeing teammates at Boeing South Carolina (BSC) and university campuses across the state.
- Boeing’s commitment to growing equity in education, particularly through the company’s DreamLearners program and other educational outreach programs extended to communities of color across South Carolina.
“Our organization is proud to present our Martin Luther King Jr. Corporate Award to Boeing South Carolina,” said Elder James Johnson, president of South Carolina Racial Justice Network. “Dr. King believed in a unified country that transcends color, racial barriers, and supports justice, health and the economic well-being of every citizen. Boeing is working hard to build a better workplace and community. We commend them for their efforts and are proud to partner with them.”
“We are honored to receive the MLK Corporate Award from the Racial Justice Network, and it is our shared responsibility to continue the work of those who came before us. While we are not perfect, Boeing is committed to confronting racism in our community head-on, and we have zero tolerance for it among our workforce,” said Lane Ballard, vice president and general manager of the 787 Program and Boeing South Carolina site leader. “Both inside and outside the walls of Boeing, we work hard to be a part of growing and sustaining a diverse workforce that reflects the vibrancy and diversity of South Carolina.”
For more information about the award, the South Carolina Racial Justice Network, and Boeing’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, click here.
WCSC’s Michal Higdon (right) interviews Emily Mikkelson (left) at IRCSC.
BSC teammates making headlines
Over the past few months, three Charleston-area television news stations have featured Boeing South Carolina teammates on a variety of topics.
Check out WCBD Meteorologist David Dickson’s weekly feature, A Moment of Science. In one episode, BSC teammate Richard Austin explains how the carbon fiber composite material, which makes up about 50% of the 787 Dreamliner, is made. In another episode, 787 test pilot Nick Carden describes how an airplane flies with the forces of flight working together.
BSC teammate Jessica Garris spoke to WCIV’s Dean Stephens about her experience at Trident Technical College, and how it led her to Boeing. You can watch the story here.
Emily Mikkelson, a tooling engineer at the Interiors Responsibility Center South Carolina (IRCSC) was featured by WCSC’s Michal Higdon for Women’s History Month. Watch here as she describes what being a female in the aviation industry here means to her.
Additionally, visit BSC’s Facebook and Twitter pages, or click here to see some of the other BSC teammates recognized during Black History Month in February and Women’s History Month in March.
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