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In 2017, under the leadership of Ada Schools District Superintendent, Mike Anderson, and then-Director of Academics & Instruction Paula Kedy, Ada High School was the first in the state to offer the new AOPA curriculum.\u00c2\u00a0 Now employed by the Aeronautics Commission, Kedy has facilitated the signing of thirty-one Oklahoma schools to participate in the AOPA aviation program. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
This funding will launch a statewide program that includes\nthe training of teachers and the delivery of the \u201cYou Can Fly\u201d Pilot and\nUnmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Pathway High School Curriculum to students.\nThis curriculum will provide high schools with Aviation and STEM laboratory equipment\nand\/or supplies to ensure the implementation of meaningful aviation education.\nThrough the program, the OAC will host eight regional Aviation and STEM Days\nfor students as well as a high school Pilot Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have and always will be an advocate for preparing the\nnext generation of pilots,\u201d Inhofe said. \u201cWith this Aircraft Pilots grant,\nOklahoma students will have ample professional development opportunities to\nbecome future leaders of the aviation industry. I am glad to have secured this\nfunding for the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission and I look forward to seeing\nthem utilize it in the coming years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recognizing the need for a skilled workforce in the\naerospace and aviation industry, the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission has\nalready been working to support Oklahoma high schools interested in offering an\naviation curriculum developed by the Aircraft Owners Pilots Association (AOPA).\nThe four-year, \u201cYou Can Fly\u201d curriculum is offered free to schools committed to\nproviding high-quality aviation STEM pathways for students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Aeronautics Commission is grateful that the FAA\nselected our grant application on behalf of the State of Oklahoma for the\nWorkforce Development Grant Program. This was truly a team effort from across\nthe state and we are excited to get started with developing the next generation\nof pilots, engineers, and UAS operators to help further the state\u2019s\nsecond-largest industry, aviation and aerospace,\u201d said Grayson Ardies, Oklahoma\nState Director of Aeronautics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AOPA curriculum program consists of two pathways, the\npilot pathway, and the UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) pathway. Schools may\nchoose to implement one or both. The difficulty of the coursework increases\neach consecutive year, building upon the knowledge required to become a private\npilot or UAS pilot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis program, by design, works with superintendents,\ncounselors, and educators, to bring aviation into the classroom. One of the\nmost important things we do at the Commission is to foster and encourage\naerospace and aviation in Oklahoma. The AOPA curriculum is one of many ways we\nachieve that, but we need schools to partner with us,\u201d said Ardies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The registration period for schools wishing to apply to\nteach the AOPA curriculum is now open. Interested educators may access the\napplication at aopa.org\/apply. Applications must be submitted no later than May\n31, 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n