WORKFORCE PIPELINE A MONTHLY FEATURE ABOUT TRAINING, EDUCATION & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT w At the Aviation Academy: Attitude = Altitude O
ver the past fi ve years, I have had the privilege of participating in some phenomenal events. I talked with astronauts onboard the International Space Station, visited companies such as Huntington-Ingalls and Alcoa-Howmet, and interacted with some incredible profes- sionals who are committed to improving the education of our children.
You see, I work at the Aviation Academy, which is located along the runway at the Newport News Williamsburg Inter- national Airport. We have one simple motto at the academy: “Attitude = Altitude.” We recognize that our students are not perfect in any
way, shape or form. However, it is up to us as educators to raise their awareness and knowledge so they reach their full potential. Being in the academy is not always easy for some of our students, but they realize that suc- cess will come once they graduate. Our students want to be challenged and engaged in meaningful lessons that allow them to use their senses; they grow with excitement and enthusiasm from things that resonate with them. Our students learn about STEM, aviation and
aerospace through piloting, aircraft mechanics, engineering, computers and electronics. They spend part of their day at the airport and the other part at Denbigh High School. I no longer see students when they enter the halls. Instead, I see our future engi- neers, pilots, electricians, and mechanics.
Hands-On Education
Dr. Smith is watching John adjust part of the dashboard so that it fi ts better. The dashboard will be fastened to the framework.
When you combine these experiences with teaching high school students who want to learn about manufacturing, I feel like a very lucky man. I have also come to realize that I do a lot more than just recruit students to a magnet program; I have the ability to guide and inspire students by sharing my knowledge of STEM and manufacturing.
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One place I see this transformation is in our main- tenance lab where students work on a RV-12 plane. Our fi rst shipment of equipment came in two years ago and it has been a teacher’s dream. Just like a job in the real world, students had to apply for a spot on the team by submitting an application and interview- ing with a staff member who would oversee the
project. From there, students were either hired or put on a wait list until they proved that they were ready for the job. An honor roll student even learned a valuable lesson early on as he submitted his application one day late and was not hired to join the original build team—even though he was more than capable of performing well on the project.
Photo courtesy Bill Grace
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