The drone business might face a large scarcity of certified pilots, as flight past visible line of sight, drone supply, cargo drones, and passenger plane develop into a actuality. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Foundation’s High School Aviation STEM Curriculum is working to fulfill these wants by introducing aviation careers – each manned and unmanned – to a brand new era of pilots. Now, AOPA’s High School Aviation STEM Curriculum has obtained two accreditation honors from the impartial credentialing and schooling analysis group STEM.org.
AOPA has taken a number one position in educating pilots and supporting the inclusion of drone pilots into the NAS. The AOPA basis is in a novel place to supply highschool aviation schooling: this new accreditation could make it simpler for faculties to undertake their curriculum and assist high school college students join with aviation careers.
The highschool curriculum and corresponding supplies had been vetted throughout a rigorous and thorough course of, incomes two Trustmarks which might be indicative of assembly a spread of requirements set by STEM.org specialists which embody:
- Develop important considering, collaboration, and communication abilities.
- Promote science, know-how, engineering, and math abilities that put together college students for the way forward for aviation and aerospace.
- Strengthen the STEM abilities college students want for twenty-first-century careers.
- Support the event of STEM abilities future-focused employers need.
“The AOPA’s You Can Fly program reveals true excellence and is main the best way in STEM schooling,” mentioned Founder and Executive Director of STEM.org, Andrew B. Raupp. “In completely assessing this system and corresponding curriculum in the course of the multiphase evaluation course of, our staff was impressed with AOPA’s STEM educational rigor mixed with a devotion to supporting future pilots at each stage of their aviation journey. They present college students the assets to nurture the talents they should suppose critically and succeed within the classroom and past.”
AOPA’s High School Aviation Curriculum
“The alternative to develop into accredited by STEM.org is one thing that may elevate the AOPA Foundation’s curriculum to new heights,” mentioned AOPA You Can Fly Program Executive Director Elizabeth Tennyson. “Many college students don’t notice that being a pilot is a choice for them and it actually could be very accessible. AOPA works exhausting to make it much more accessible and offers college students the publicity and instruments they should pursue a profession in aviation.”
As AOPA beforehand reported, “the science, know-how, engineering, and math curriculum options six programs in two pathways—pilot and drones—for college kids in grades 9 by 12 and can be utilized in public, non-public, constitution, or parochial excessive faculties. It can also be obtainable for home-school co-op applications at the highschool stage. Schools could select to make use of a single course or a four-year profession and technical schooling program.”
More than 8,000 college students participated within the AOPA Foundation’s STEM curriculum for the 2020-2021 faculty 12 months. By the tip of the 2 pathways, college students have discovered the fabric wanted to go the FAA non-public pilot or distant pilot data exams.
The AOPA Foundation’s high school aviation curriculum was utilized in greater than 200 faculties throughout 38 states within the 2020-2021 faculty 12 months and AOPA hopes that this system will proceed to develop. In addition to encouraging the following era of drone pilots, the AOPA program is encouraging range within the aviation business: “The curriculum can also be attracting extra college students from backgrounds which might be at present underrepresented all through the aviation subject, with 20 % of the scholars within the curriculum being feminine, and 45 % individuals of colour,” says AOPA.
Schools can entry the AOPA Foundation’s curriculum by an software course of. Schools focused on making use of for the 2022-2023 faculty 12 months ought to contact AOPA’s high school curriculum specialists. The curriculum is offered to varsities freed from price: it’s supported by donations to the AOPA Foundation.
