Adding maintenance, manufacturing
AOPA Foundation adds another pathway for students
The AOPA Foundation will add a maintenance and manufacturing pathway to its High School Aviation STEM Curriculum as early as 2028.
The high school program is a free, nationally recognized program that has reached more than 130,000 students since its launch in 2016.
The maintenance and manufacturing curriculum will complement existing pilot, drone, and career preparation courses. Its development is being made possible by a donation from Gregory and Cindy Kozmetsky through their GCK Legacy Fund—a donor-advised fund.
The AOPA Foundation will also form an advisory board consisting of industry leaders and educators to ensure the curriculum will prepare students for a career in aviation maintenance and manufacturing while also working within the constraints of a typical high school environment.
In a 2023 congressional hearing, the FAA said that the number of mechanic certificates issued “has remained relatively flat over the past two decades” and that “by 2031, two out of every five current mechanics—more than 90,000 certificated mechanics in total—will reach retirement age.”
In that same hearing, the Aviation Technician Education Council estimated that while 79,000 mechanics are expected to enter the industry by the early 2030s, there will be a need for 90,000 mechanics.
A 2023 Government Accountability Office report found that “support mechanisms for promoting aviation maintenance professions—such as engagement with high schools and maintenance schools, promotional marketing, and recruitment—are not as well developed as those supporting and promoting the airline pilot profession.”
In the 2025-2026 school year, the AOPA high school program served more than 32,000 students at more than 1,500 high schools. For the first time, the AOPA curriculum was taught in all 50 states, in addition to Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Since its inception, the AOPA curriculum has prepared a diverse group of students—half of whom are students of color, and almost 25 percent of whom are female—for careers in aviation. The curriculum is STEM.org reviewed, and offered free to schools, districts, nonprofits, and homeschool co-ops.
“We’re proud of the success the AOPA high school program has had,” said AOPA Foundation Programs Vice President Dan Justman. “With this new pathway, we can open that same door for students who want to build and maintain aircraft, and the industry is waiting for every one of them.”
Developing the curriculum is expected to take two to three years, with a field test expected as early as 2028. Prior to release, the AOPA Foundation will identify certifications and skills students need to enter the workforce, design hands-on learning experiences, and equip teachers with resources and training to deliver it effectively.
The AOPA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, is funded by donations that support programs to enhance safety and grow the pilot (and mechanic) population. To be a part of the solution, visit www.aopafoundation.org/donate.
Share your story
Participate in the AOPA Foundation Volunteer Program
Amanda Burney is a career and technical education (CTE) program specialist with the Putnam County School District in Florida, a rural area that serves about 10,000 students. For the past several years, she has welcomed pilot and AOPA member Dr. Ken Wolf into her classroom—and he has invited her students out to the airport—an effort that led to the AOPA Foundation Volunteer Program, which was offered in 12 schools in the 2025/2026 school year and is launching in many more this September.
Wolf is a model volunteer—he invites Florida area schools to bring a class to a nearby airport to show them his airplane (now retired, he winters in Florida). He provides a live presentation about the interior and exterior workings of his airplane to the students.
“We have been so blessed to have Ken Wolf meet our students at our local regional airport on a couple of occasions. He is so patient and kind to the students—he does a great show and tell—and really tries to pull the knowledge they have been learning in class into real life with his airplane,” Burney said. “He did a great job getting students to participate in his demonstration. Bringing this real-world knowledge and expertise is so important for our students, especially those students who maybe took the class to explore and have not yet made up their minds what they want to do in the future—getting to see, touch, and hear about the flying experience is so important.”
Burney and teachers like her are grateful for the AOPA Foundation high school curriculum. “We live in a time when budget cuts are huge, and funding can be tough so having a good curriculum that is free is amazing. On top of that, the training and support, the symposium for teachers, and the volunteers willing to put in time with our students makes the AOPA program so well-rounded and intentionally good for all stakeholders,” she said.
You don’t need an airplane to be a volunteer in the AOPA Foundation Volunteer Program. Just be willing to share your knowledge and your story with students at a high school near you. Whether you’re a seasoned pilot, a passionate volunteer, or just getting started in aviation, you can help inspire and engage the next generation of aviators. Volunteers are asked to give approximately 45 minutes to speak to a class. They will participate in a virtual training session before going to the classroom. As a volunteer, you may have to undergo a background check.
Participants will have early access to volunteer opportunities as the program grows. AOPA will provide a list of participating schools in your area; training and resources to make your visit easy and engaging; a presentation toolkit with talking points, activity ideas, and tips; and ongoing support from the AOPA team. In addition, we will recognize you as a founding volunteer in the program, offer AOPA-branded merchandise as a thank-you gift, and solicit your voice in shaping this program. You will also have the reward of making a lasting impact on future aviators. If you are interested in volunteering, please email us at [email protected] or apply online (aopa.org/getinvolved).
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