“Together We Can Fly”
Approximately 70 teachers from over 50 in-state public school districts and 20 out-of-state districts will gather at the University of Oklahoma on July 11-14 for intensive training in the implementation of the AOPA “You Can Fly” High School Aviation Curriculum. The four-day event will allow teachers the opportunity to participate in hands-on lab activities and to collaborate with teachers from across the nation on the best aviation and aerospace STEM practices. In addition to classroom sessions, teachers will have the opportunity to take discovery flights provided by the OU School of Aviation Studies, and to tour the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center.
On Tuesday evening, teachers and industry leaders will meet at OU’s National Weather Center to celebrate the growth of aviation and aerospace education in the state, and to discuss ways to partner in the building of programs that will ensure the growth of Oklahoma’s aviation, aerospace and defense industry workforce. Oklahoma Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell, NASA Astronaut and Commander John Herrington, and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) President Mark Baker will address teachers and industry leaders to celebrate the growth of aviation and aerospace education in the state. Pinnell will announce the state’s top rank for the number of schools approved to teach the AOPA high school aviation curriculum starting this fall.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) selected Oklahoma as the first state outside of its home state of Maryland to host the “You Can Fly” High School Aviation Curriculum professional development program.
AOPA’s You Can Fly initiative is all about building the aviation community, getting more people into the skies, and keeping them there. The centerpiece of You Can Fly is the unique and free High School STEM Curriculum, ensuring that all of aviation has a bright future.
In the past school year, more than 12,000 students in 1,000 classrooms across the country, in all four grades, took the curriculum and learned about exciting opportunities in aviation.