The goal of the proposed aviation workforce development (AWD) project is to build the interest, skills and knowledge necessary for high school students to pursue aviation-related careers by engaging…

The goal of the proposed aviation workforce development (AWD) project is to build the interest, skills and knowledge necessary for high school students to pursue aviation-related careers by engaging them in authentic aviation experiences. Elizabeth city state university (ecsu) will serve as the primary entity and partner with northeast academy for aerospace and advanced technology (neaaat). Further, ecsu will leverage its existing partnerships with school districts, non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, and other enrichment programs to conduct a comprehensive outreach program for high school students in the region. The proposed aviation workforce development (AWD) academy project will support student development through activity components that are fully integrated to form a comprehensive support system. The key components of the proposed AWD project are, (i) authentic aviation experiences, (II) technology-rich aviation education laboratory (TR-AEL), and (III) family involvement. The AWD program at ecsu will adopt the aircraft owners and pilots association (aopa), the FAA aviation career education, and grade appropriate NASA curriculum and integrate virtual reality simulation, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operation, flight simulator experience and discovery flight to enhance authentic and experiential learning experiences. The project will extend learning to the school districts in the form of a mobile aerospace education lab, equipped with a state-of-the-art desktop flight simulator aircraft design station, desktop wind tunnel, weather station, and a set of hands-on aviation-themed stem experiments. The AWD program at ecsu will also feature the family CAF, a special interactive family involvement forum that will provide parents and other adult family members with information, resources, and support needed to become an active partner in their childrens education.dual credit courses, summer academy and yearlong saturday academy, will expose students to structured aviation training curriculum and prepare them for FAA certifications. The learning activities have been carefully designed to meet the next generation science standards (ngss) and the north carolina standard course of study for science and mathematics. Guest speakers and field trips will complement in-class learning. The objective is to increase student interest and competency in aviation-related disciplines and set them on a learning path to become successful in college and beyond. Over the 24-month project implementation period, the proposed AWD initiative at ecsu is expected to directly impact 120 high school students, where each student will have received over ninety (90) hours of learning and indirectly impact 1200 students through day long and weeklong aviation-focused outreach activities. Professional development opportunities for high school teachers, counselors, and parents will also be available through ecsus AWD academy program. Further, the project will help kick start aviation program in two high schools located in underserved counties. The project team is committed to conducting both formative and summative evaluation and report results to the FAA on a regular basis. Additionally, the project team will disseminate project results through a dedicated website, social media, program brochures, news releases, project newsletters, and publications in technical and educational conferences journals.