You Can Fly: Teachers descend, aviation ascends

More than 30 teachers from high schools across the country attended the AOPA High School Aviation Curriculum Ninth Grade Workshop at the You Can Fly Academy in Frederick, Maryland. For three days in June, these instructors learned and practiced the curriculum prepared by the You Can Fly team to introduce students to aviation as part of their science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs.

“This is designed to expose teachers to all sides of aviation,” said Cindy Hasselbring, director of the AOPA high school initiative. “We tell them: You can focus on teaching; we’ve done the curriculum.”

Several years in the making, AOPA’s ninth-grade curriculum shows students three career and technical education pathways to aviation: pilot, unmanned aircraft systems, and aerospace engineering. The curriculum follows these pathways with sections such as Introduction to Flight, Aircraft Systems, Pilot Fundamentals, and Aerodynamics. While designed for ninth-grade students, “teachers can use this as an elective,” said Hasselbring. “It doesn’t have to be just for ninth grade.”

The three-day symposium was designed to present the curriculum to teachers, but also to allow them to experience the lessons firsthand. In doing so, they were able to imagine putting into practice the curriculum in their own classrooms.

Educators to aviators

Most of the teachers have no aviation background—like most of their students—so the curriculum gets back to basics. In the section “Introduction to Flight,” the curriculum included making hot air balloons. Remembering that teachers have limited budgets, the You Can Fly team prepared the lesson plan with rudimentary equipment. Tissue paper, masking tape, glue sticks, and duct tape were the makings of the balloon; a camp stove and metal heating duct created the heat. The competition was fierce as teachers created their balloons and then held them over the heating duct. Whose would tap the ceiling first? Cheers for the winners and a desire to go back to the drawing board were the result.

“It’s important to teach the strategy,” said You Can Fly Senior Director of Flight Training Education Chris Moser. “There’s a great value in doing it before you teach it.”

The teachers also launched “rockets” made from plastic balloons, built airfoils and wind tunnels from cardboard boxes and box fans, and built balsa wood gliders.

“We were a pilot school last year,” said Paula Ross of Ada, Oklahoma. “We loved it and the kids loved it. Especially for a place like Ada, to see the opportunities these kids could have is exciting.”

Aviators to educators

Mooney owner Jonas deLeon is an educator in New York City at Gregorio Luperon High School, a science and math public school for Latin American teens. A pilot since 1993, deLeon knew the science of aviation could benefit his students but needed to convince his school system; deLeon discovered the You Can Fly curriculum and not only convinced the school to invest in it, but convinced several of his fellow educators to become pilots.

“Aviation is my passion,” he said. “And I knew it is another entry point for our students to become excited about STEM programs. We are excited to be riding this wave.” Gregorio Luperon High School will offer the You Can Fly curriculum this fall to 24 students, 12 male and 12 female.

Field tested

The You Can Fly curriculum was field tested in 29 schools last year and approximately 75 schools are anticipated to participate beginning with the 2018-19 school year. To implement the curriculum in their schools, teachers must attend the workshop, in person or online. In-person attendees came from Texas, Washington, Tennessee, Oklahoma, New Jersey, and Minnesota.

American Airlines is partnering with AOPA in this initiative. Three members of its newly formed pilot career recruiting and development program attended the workshop. American gave a $100,000 grant to the program, which is being used predominantly to help with revisions to the curriculum. Finishing touches are still being made to the curriculum, especially with input from the participants of the workshop. “Teachers will have a ready-to-go, completed program to start the year,” said Hasselbring.