There is a grass-roots aeronautics movement taking off in\nOklahoma classrooms, and the aviation and aerospace industry is counting on an\ninnovative program to reach new heights. The 4-year \u201cYou Can Fly\u201d High School\nCurriculum developed by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is\nbeing adopted by independent school districts at a record pace across the\nstate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the last several years, the Oklahoma Aeronautics\nCommission has led the way to advocate and implement this novel curriculum to\nsupport Oklahoma\u2019s commitment to solve workforce challenges and to ensure that\nthe state\u2019s second-largest industry, aviation and aerospace, will continue to\nbe a major economic driver for the state. Today, Oklahoma is ranked third in\nthe Nation for implementing the AOPA curriculum with nearly 30 schools teaching\nit and is on the heels of overtaking the lead this fall with the start of the\n2022-2023 school year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In late 2021 the Commission, as part of a statewide\nconsortium, was awarded a Federal Aviation Administration Workforce Development\nGrant to further support the implementation of the AOPA program and to make\nOklahoma\u2019s educators aware of the potential that aviation and aerospace have in\ntheir classrooms. One of the foundational aspects of receiving the FAA grant\nfunding was the ability to name five Oklahoma high schools as \u201cAviation High\nSchools of Excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These five schools, Ada High School, McAlester High School,\nMustang High School, Okmulgee High School, and Pryor High School were all early\nadopters of the AOPA program and are in year three or beyond of implementing\nthe curriculum. Because of their expertise and willingness to share their\nknowledge they have been designated to assist what is expected to be 50\nOklahoma high schools in the implementation of the AOPA Curriculum for next\nschool year and will serve as hubs for aviation STEM activities and teacher\nprofessional development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are very pleased to recognize these five high schools as\nOklahoma Aviation High Schools of Excellence,\u201d stated State Director of\nAeronautics, Grayson Ardies. \u201cEach of these schools has demonstrated a\ncommitment to the implementation of strong aviation education programming, not\njust through high school coursework but the development of vertically aligned\nPreK-12 aviation programs and activities. Many in the industry have\nlong-desired this aviation-focused, primary-level education curriculum to get\nstudents started on an early flight path to joining an aviation or aerospace\ncareer.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn addition to these five early adopters of the AOPA\nprogram, we are seeing wonderful news elsewhere in Oklahoma to support the\nindustry\u2019s workforce needs. The\nannouncement of Norman Public Schools and its desire to develop an aviation and\naerospace-focused high school is an amazing step forward,\u201d said Paula Kedy, who\nbegan the state\u2019s aviation education revolution while working with Ada Public\nSchools. Kedy is the lead source in the state regarding aviation and aerospace\neducation at the primary school level and now represents the Aeronautics\nCommission as a member of its staff. \u201cProponents of the effort are hopeful that\nthe AOPA curriculum, and schools that are adopting it, will create energy\nacross the state which will enhance the industry\u2019s ability to recruit workforce\ntalent from within Oklahoma,\u201d Kedy continued. <\/p>\n\n\n\n