{"id":23228,"date":"2022-08-22T15:21:44","date_gmt":"2022-08-22T15:21:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saj.pachecostudios.com?p=23228"},"modified":"2022-08-22T15:21:46","modified_gmt":"2022-08-22T15:21:46","slug":"oklahoma-aero-education-charts-course-to-new-heights-among-the-countrys-leaders-in-growing-the-industrys-workforce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/state-news\/oklahoma\/oklahoma-aero-education-charts-course-to-new-heights-among-the-countrys-leaders-in-growing-the-industrys-workforce\/%20","title":{"rendered":"Oklahoma Aero Education Charts Course to New Heights; Among the Country\u2019s Leaders in Growing the Industry\u2019s Workforce"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A century ago, Bessie Coleman, a Langston University student\nwho was of African American and Native American descent, graduated from the\nFederation Aeronautique Internationale becoming the first African American\nwoman to achieve a pilot\u2019s license. Bessie was billed as “the world\u2019s\ngreatest woman flier.” One hundred years later, Oklahoma has become a\nnational model for aerospace and aviation education, breaking down barriers to\nensure young Oklahoma citizens know that a career in aeronautics is not out of\ntheir reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Oklahoma teacher Roy Martos presented information to the Aeronautics Commission on August 10, 2022, regarding the district’s “AFJROTC Aerospace Education” program serving 9th – 12th-grade students, which was approved for a $3,000 grant to build Edmond North’s strong aerospace program through the implementation of curriculum and hands-on aviation activities. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the spirit of Coleman, Pearl Carter Scott, Dr. Shannon\nLucid, and so many others, the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission has turned its\nundivided attention to guiding young minds toward aerospace and aviation\ncareers. Like Coleman, who was dedicated to the mission of creating more\npilots, the Aeronautics Commission has become a driving force behind the\nstate\u2019s investment in aerospace educational programs, vectoring students toward\nbecoming aviators, engineers, mechanics, astronauts, and scientists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am so proud that Oklahoma is equipping students with the\ntraining and resources they need to pursue a future in our state\u2019s second\nlargest industry,\u201d said Governor Kevin Stitt. \u201cOklahoma has a rich history in\naerospace and aviation, and I am glad to see our continued investments that\nmake us Top Ten in this growing field.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fifty-six organizations were awarded Aerospace and Aviation\nEducation Program grants totaling $451,157 at the Oklahoma Aeronautics\nCommission\u2019s (OAC) August meeting. Grants are for targeted learning programs\nthat have a direct application to aerospace and aviation for primary through\npost-secondary education. The grant funds are part of the agency\u2019s initiative\nto give more Oklahoma young people access to STEM careers in the aerospace and\naviation industry.                                                              \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The agency\u2019s Aerospace and Aviation Education Grant Program\nhas been awarding aerospace and aviation education grants for over 30 years.\nPrograms that are supported range from a dedicated 4-year high school\ncurriculum such as the AOPA \u201cYou Can Fly\u201d effort, to week-long summer camps\noffered by our major Universities, a build and fly drone racing competition,\nTinker AFB Air and Space Show, a 2-year high school curriculum dedicated to\nteaching aircraft mechanics, activities and tours at various airports across\nthe system, engineering fairs and many others. These programs along with\nCommission staff will help foster students\u2019 interest in the industry and\nencourages them to consider aerospace or aviation as a career. Based on\nprojections, the programs that have been awarded funding will reach nearly\n50,000 students across the state. The initiative supports the Oklahoma Works\nproject that aims to address the skills gap and connect students to programs\nthat will help build the workforce of Oklahoma\u2019s second-largest industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are so excited to see the impact this program is having\nwith getting our youth excited about a \ncareer in aviation and aerospace,\u201d said State Director of Aeronautics\nGrayson Ardies.  \u201cWhether it\u2019s Oklahoma\u2019s\n#1 ranking with 57 schools teaching the AOPA high school curriculum, our\neducation grant program, or the industry partners we have, Oklahoma has never been\nbetter positioned to turn today\u2019s students into tomorrow\u2019s aerospace\nworkforce.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aviation and aerospace is a significant economic engine in\nour state providing $44 billion in annual economic activity.  For the growth of this industry, a safe,\nreliable, and accessible aviation system is critical, but having a capable\nworkforce is even more important. \u201cThe opportunities that our students have for\ncareers in today\u2019s aerospace and aviation industry is absolutely amazing,\u201d said\nPaul Kedy, Aerospace Education Manager for the agency. \u201cThe Commission is proud\nto work with entities across the state that are committed to ensuring that\nstudents are ready to enter Oklahoma\u2019s growing aviation industry,\u201d Kedy\ncontinued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program has been recognized twice by the National\nAssociation of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), enjoying a positive reputation\nfor investing millions in aerospace and aviation education programs statewide.\nThe commission approved grants totaling $451,157 on Wednesday, Aug. 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Ada City Public Schools, $15,000<\/li>
  • Altus High School, $6,800<\/li>
  • Alva High School, $4,600<\/li>
  • Ardmore High School, $7,200<\/li>
  • Atoka Elementary School, $2,122<\/li>
  • Blackwell Elementary School, $3,000<\/li>
  • Cameron University, $2,140<\/li>
  • Chelsea Public Schools, $6,325<\/li>
  • Chisholm High School, $5,463<\/li>
  • Choose Aerospace, $10,000<\/li>
  • Claremore NJROTC, $2,697<\/li>
  • Clinton High School, $1,000<\/li>
  • Deer Creek Public Schools, $4,300<\/li>
  • Durant Public Schools, $5,000<\/li>
  • East Central University, $2,500<\/li>
  • ECHO Homeschool Extension, $2,900<\/li>
  • Edmond North High School AF JROTC, $3,000<\/li>
  • Enid Public Schools, $12,500 <\/li>
  • FIRST, $7,500<\/li>
  • Frederick Public Schools, $6,495<\/li>
  • Girl Scouts Eastern Oklahoma, $3,000<\/li>
  • Gordon Cooper Technology (Summer Camp), $3,000<\/li>
  • Great Plains Technology, $6,300<\/li>
  • Ketchum High School, $9,000<\/li>
  • KISS Institute for Practical Robotics, $10,000<\/li>
  • Lawton High School, $10,000<\/li>
  • McAlester Public School, $5,000<\/li>
  • Mustang High School, $5,885<\/li>
  • Norman Public Schools, $15,000<\/li>
  • Oilton Public Schools, $4,100<\/li>
  • Oklahoma CareerTech Foundation, $10,000<\/li>
  • Oklahoma Engineering Foundation, Inc., $4,000<\/li>
  • Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics\nFoundation, $1,500<\/li>
  • Oklahoma Science & Engineering Foundation\nFirst Lego League, $5,000<\/li>
  • Oklahoma State University Speedfest, $17,000<\/li>
  • Oklahoma State University \u2013 Tulsa, $2,500<\/li>
  • Paoli Public Schools, $6,700<\/li>
  • Pauls Valley High School, $7,000<\/li>
  • Pawhuska Schools, $5,000<\/li>
  • Piedmont Public Schools, $8,000<\/li>
  • Ponca City Regional Airport, $8,500<\/li>
  • Poteau Public Schools, $5,350<\/li>
  • Putnam City High School (Air Force JROTC),\n$9,000<\/li>
  • Putnam City Schools (North), $8,000<\/li>
  • Redeemed Flying Corps, $11,000<\/li>
  • Seminole High School, $6,150<\/li>
  • Southeastern Oklahoma State University, $9,000<\/li>
  • STAAR Solutions – Tinker Air Show, $28,000<\/li>
  • STARBASE Oklahoma, Inc., $25,000<\/li>
  • Terra Verde Discovery School, $630<\/li>
  • Tri County Tech, $10,500<\/li>
  • Tulsa Community WorkAdvance, $12,500<\/li>
  • University of Oklahoma, $42,000<\/li>
  • Weatherford Public Schools, $12,500<\/li>
  • Western Heights, $8,000<\/li>
  • Wyandotte Public Schools, $6,500<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    A century ago, Bessie Coleman, a Langston University student who was of African American and Native American descent, graduated from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale becoming the first African American woman to achieve a pilot\u2019s license. Bessie was billed as “the world\u2019s greatest woman flier.” One hundred years later, Oklahoma has become a national model for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[144,98,56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aerospace-education","category-aviation-education","category-oklahoma"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23228"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23228\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23232,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23228\/revisions\/23232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}