Every kid needs their own space, a place to play and to create. Brian, 11, and Sean Bartelo, 9, are gifted, something their mother Diane spotted early.

"When he was doing algebra at three, Brian, I figured I needed to do something different,” Diane Ward Bartelo, their mother, said. “I taught at UB so I recognized that he has a very high IQ. And I didn't want hold him back."

In consultation with her local school district Diane designed the curriculum which was approved by New York State. Sean followed in his brothers footsteps. 

Brian is already taking pre-calculus online through a local college and Sean has a knack for learning software that brings his imagination to life.

And since these two like a challenge, they entered the FAA's international STEM Airport Design contest for the second straight year. Through the game Minecraft, they teamed up with another home-schooler from West Virginia to map, build to scale and re-imagine the West Virginia International Yeager Airport. Since none of them had been there, they improvised with images from Google Earth, a measuring tool, and an important eco-friendly innovation.

A new ventilation system to stop harmful pathogens, electric car charging stations, and an extra lane in front of the terminal to improve traffic flow was also added.  After two months of work, the FAA announced the winners in an online awards ceremony.

“When they announced second place, and it wasn't us, and we heard we got into the top three, that's then we got really excited," Sean said.

As you've guessed by now, the MountainAirs took first place. And just weeks after they're win the boys are looking to the future, reaching for the stars, quite literally.  Sean wants to be and aerospace engineer and Brian, a space lawyer.

Lofty goals that seem appropriate for kids encouraged to dream big.

"Just their passion for learning and that they want to do something good for the world, it's really incredible," mother Diana added.