POMONA- A laughter-filled room might not be the first thing you think of at a science–related summer camp.

But this is not your typical classroom.

Equipment like a high efficiency fire fighting truck, is just one of the tools at the disposal of about 40 local students at the F.A.A. Tech Center's aviation academy.

The teaching method is hands–on.

Kenny Carson of the Northfield Community School was wearing a silver fire suit, "I am ready to stand next to a 2,000 degree fire. It's like 110 degrees in here, sweat's dripping down to the boots."

But everything here was designed with careful thought.

"How can you increase the post–crash viability? What kinds of hazards do you have? What kind of time do you have before fire's going to encroach into the aircraft?" Keith Bagot of the A.R.F.F. says these were the kinds of questions designers had to answer.

Most of these students have expressed some interest in the fields of science and math.

Zenaida Guzman, an up-coming senior at Egg Harbor Twp. High Scholl says, "There's not that many women and a lot of guys ask me why am I a girl going into engineering, but I like to design things and drawing and math."

Nationwide, some fear the U.S. is losing its technology edge because of waning interest among the young.

F.A.A. Educator Mary Lou Dordan says, "They're testing out at the bottom of the pack when it comes to the testing in those areas, math and science, and so that's why we're trying to encourage these students that it can be exciting to pursue math and science career fields."

They can man a control tower, or even do experiments in giant wind tunnels.

Now that students have gotten a taste of what exciting careers are out there, instructors hope they'll buckle down in school and pursue more classes in science, technology, engineering and of course mathematics.

The Aviation Academy was organized in partnership with the National Talent Network, a non-profit educational agency.