AOPA Partners with TDOT to Bring Aviation STEM Curriculum to Tennessee Teachers

In partnership with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Aeronautics Division, the AOPA Foundation’s You Can Fly team will host events in Knoxville, Memphis, and Murfreesboro to help schools launch new aviation programs. The AOPA Foundation’s four-year curriculum is free and offers engaging, hands-on lessons that help students understand aviation and inspire them to pursue it.

“This program enables teachers to open the eyes and minds of students to the exciting, rewarding, and well-paying careers available in aviation and aerospace,” said You Can Fly Vice President Dan Justman. “Since its launch in 2017, we’ve seen incredible growth and interest, including from schools in Tennessee. This school year, we’ll serve our 100,000th student as part of the program.”

“Tennessee has a strong and rising aviation industry,” said TDOT Aeronautics Director J.P. Saalwaechter. “From FedEx in Memphis to Cirrus in Knoxville—and everywhere in between—AOPA providing this curriculum at no cost to Tennessee schools will empower students to pursue incredible career paths that may not have been possible otherwise.”

The program is made possible thanks to generous donors to the AOPA Foundation, which ensures that any school or district can implement the program.

“Our donors see tremendous value in investing in the next generation of aviation professionals—whether they pursue careers as pilots, mechanics, engineers, dispatchers, or other roles,” said AOPA Foundation Senior Vice President Elizabeth Tennyson. “By offering the curriculum at no cost, we remove a major barrier to entry and make it possible for any student to be part of a high-quality aviation program with practical, hands-on lessons.”

AOPA and TDOT will visit three locations during the tour:

• Tuesday, August 26
  Hilton Knoxville Airport
  Alcoa, TN
  Hosted in partnership with Cirrus
• Tuesday, September 9
  FedEx Experience Center
  Memphis, TN
  Hosted by FedEx
• Friday, September 12
  Murfreesboro Municipal Airport
  Murfreesboro, TN
  Hosted in partnership with Middle Tennessee State University

There is no cost to attend but registration is encouraged. STEM and CTE educators, administrators, education officials, aviation professionals, airport managers, business leaders, and state legislators are all encouraged to attend.

Media interested in covering one of the tour stops should contact Jay Wiles, AOPA Director of Public and Media Relations, at [email protected]. Additional attendees will include AOPA staff, TDOT officials, and teachers using the curriculum.