AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2023 - 44

BRIEFING
YOU CAN FLY /
Ensuring GA's future
Help bring aviation STEM education to your school
BY GLENN PONAS
THE AOPA FOUNDATION'S High
School Aviation STEM curriculum,
part of the You Can Fly High School
Initiative, is available free to public,
private, parochial, and charter high
schools and career and technical
centers across the United States.
This program, which is available
for grades nine through 12, prepares
students to take the FAA private
pilot or remote pilot knowledge
tests and gives students the skills
and experience they need to pursue
careers as pilots, aerospace engineers,
and in other aviation-related STEM
professions.
In the past school year, the AOPA
Foundation High School Aviation
STEM curriculum was used by more
than 530 teachers at 400 high schools
to teach and inspire 16,000 high
school students in 43 states. The 20232024
school year will see continued
growth in the number and diversity
of students served by the curriculum.
The curriculum contains
everything teachers need, including
lesson plans, teacher presentations,
activities, and assessments. It's aligned
to national education standards and
FAA airman certification standards,
and meets rigorous STEM, career, and
technical education state standards.
Teachers get free initial video-based
professional development, ongoing
support, and access to AOPA Air Safety
Institute resources. Through the free
AOPA High School membership,
students ages 13 through 17 can sign up
for free AOPA student memberships.
How can you be a champion
for aviation education in your
community? You can open those
doors in your community. Your
friends and neighbors-school board
44
AOPA PILOT / August 2023
members, district administrators,
and school administrators-are the
key. Tell them we face unprecedented
demand in the aviation and aerospace
workforce. Let them know that AOPA
provides-free of charge-world-class
aviation STEM curricula, professional
development, and program support to
prepare their students for meaningful
and lucrative aerospace careers.
Connect them with us via email to
hs@aopa.org and challenge them to
create career pathways that will make
their students' aviation and aerospace
career dreams take flight.
The High School Aviation STEM
curriculum is funded by generous
donations to the AOPA Foundation.
Glenn Ponas is director of high school
outreach for the AOPA Foundation You
Can Fly High School aviation program.
aopa.org/curriculum
Annual symposium
set for November
The AOPA Foundation
High School Aviation STEM
Symposium 2023 is planned
for November 12 through 14
in Orlando, Florida. For more
information, contact the AOPA
High School Initiative team via
email at hs@aopa.org.
You Can Fly
Challenge underway
The 2023 You Can Fly Challenge
kicked off June 1, giving donors
the opportunity to give back
to aviation. The You Can Fly
Challenge directly benefits
important initiatives of the
AOPA Foundation You Can Fly
program, getting more people
into the skies and keeping them
there safely. You Can Fly creates
an unparalleled aviation-theme
path for high school students,
allows aspiring aviators to
maximize their flight training
through innovative technology,
and provides pilots with an
opportunity for increased and
more economical access to
aircraft through flying clubs.
Gifts will be matched by the Ray
Foundation and will support
major initiatives to protect
the future of general aviation.
When you donate to the AOPA
Foundation in support of You
Can Fly, your contribution will be
matched, dollar for dollar. The
2023 You Can Fly Challenge is an
opportunity to double the impact
of your support. Tax-deductible
donations should be made by
December 31 to count toward
the match. For more information,
please call the AOPA Foundation
at 800/872-2672 or contact
us online.
foundation.aopa.org
http://www.aopa.org/curriculum http://foundation.aopa.org
AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2023
