Demonstrating the Impact of Aviation in Education

April 11, 2017 was the first ever “Texas STEM Powered by Aviation and Aerospace Day” at the State Capitol in Austin. In fact, it was made official when House Resolution 1358 was passed with support from all members of the Texas House of Representatives.

Sponsored by general aviation pilot, state Rep. John Cyrier, the goal was to educate state officials how aviation and STEM education are uniquely intertwined and the impact they have on the economy. By investing in STEM education, we are preparing future leaders for work in careers that will allow our state and country to remain a world leader in the aerospace industry.

The day brought high school aviation students, aerospace businesses and organizations, and of course, a Redbird FMX full motion flight simulator to the Texas State Capitol. The event helped expose state officials to aviation programs that get students career and college ready. It was a lot of fun to highlight the schools, as well as the aviation partners that are invested in Texas’ future leaders and workforce. 

Houston Independent School District – Ross Shaw Sterling Aviation High School is a magnet school for aviation sciences. The campus is indeed Texas-size and the students are dedicated to their education. With the use of a Redbird MX2 and MCX, Sterling teachers and administrators are determined to provide the best STEM education possible. 

Irving Independent School District – Aviation Academy ignites a passion within their students for careers in aviation, aerospace engineering, airport management, and aircraft maintenance. With community support and a Redbird LD simulator, these students are set on the right path to becoming the next generation of STEM professionals. 

Karnes City Independent School District – Not only do they have a high school aviation class that incorporates physics standards, the district also hosts a summer STEM camp that exposes students to all aspects of science, technology, engineering, and math. Using Redbird Jay simulators, students of all ages get to have fun flying and learning.

McKinney Independent School District – McKinney Aviation Academy is pumping out all-star
students. They have hands on experience building airplanes, receive private pilot training, and even build and launch rockets. (And thanks to their help setting up the event, they now know how to build a Redbird FMX simulator.) Utilizing a Redbird LD simulator and collaborating with a local flight school, their commitment to STEM and aerospace is strong.

Texas State Technical College – The state’s premier technical college has an aviation maintenance program and a pilot training program that operates Redbird FMX simulators. Offering options to obtain an Associate of Applied Science degree, top-notch equipment, and a dynamic airport environment, TSTC is committed to the success of its students. 

Texas STEM Powered by Aviation and Aerospace Day was supported by many companies and organizations that are invested in the next generation of aerospace professionals. These groups are committed to cultivating aviation-centric STEM programs and contributing to the development of a highly skilled workforce.  Each organization exhibited at the State Capitol to highlight their work in STEM education and workforce development.  

AOPA – Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has created an entire program around high school aerospace STEM initiatives. From flight scholarships to an annual symposium, they continue to work towards improving general aviation. 

GAMA – General Aviation Manufacturers Association sponsors the Aviation Design Challenge to promote STEM education. Providing schools across the country with curriculum and exposing them to manufacturing within aviation, the competition encourages a strong commitment to teamwork – a skill vital to career success.

Garver – Engineering and airport planning experts (among other areas), GarverGives is a program established to support STEM education. With projects throughout the country, GarverGives is providing STEM grants to the communities they serve and investing in our future workforce.

Gulfstream – Educational outreach programs focus on STEM initiatives to raise awareness and interest in career paths at Gulfstream. Numerous programs throughout the country support this mission and are priming the next generation of professionals at Gulfstream.

iFLY Indoor Skydiving – iFLY is dedicated to ensuring kids learn STEM in a unique way. Providing STEM Educational Programs for K-12 that meet state standards, these field trips are interactive and undeniably fun. 

Southwest Airlines – Launching STEM programs and working with local school districts, Southwest is focused on creating an educated workforce. From pilots and mechanics to ramp agents and accountants, their programs expose high school students to the opportunities in STEM career paths at Southwest.

As an aviation community, we continue to work together to bring awareness to school districts, lawmakers, and the non-flying public that “Aviation is STEM” and that STEM education needs to be a priority. The day at the Capitol was a way to highlight our efforts to support STEM education. It was awesome to see people get excited about aviation and to better understand its impact on our future leaders and workforce.