I hope you’re enjoying your summer! I’d like to take a moment to share with you some exciting news from Springs’ Flabob Airport Preparatory Academy (FAPA). Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, FAPA will be implementing the new Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associations (AOPA) high school aviation science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum. It will offer students aviation study options aligned with math and science standards used in many states nationwide, providing students the skills they need to learn about aviation-related career and educational opportunities.
It’s an exciting time to add the new curriculum, believes FAPA’s principal, Dr. Robin Davis, especially since there is a growing demand for workers to fill aviation industry jobs. According to a 2017 Boeing study, 637,000 commercial aircraft pilots, 648,000 technicians, and 839,000 cabin crew members will be needed globally within the next 20 years.
AOPA is developing the new STEM curriculum as part of three career and technical education (CTE) pathways: pilot, unmanned aircraft systems (drones) and aerospace engineering. Each year, AOPA will release subsequent courses until all four high school grade levels of the curriculum are complete. In addition to implementing the ninth-grade curriculum in the 2018 – 2019 school year, 25 schools will also be testing the tenth-grade curriculum. FAPA was one of only five California schools approved to use the curriculum.
Before implementing the curriculum, teachers are required to participate in a three-day professional development workshop at AOPA headquarters in Frederick, Maryland to gain a deeper understanding of the materials, learn about available resources and network with other aviation educators. Math teacher Elyse Snyder will attend the training and teach the course; Shawna Lewis will also attend and serve as an additional teacher.
If you or someone you know has an interest in programs offered through FAPA for students grades 6-12, please click on the link above to watch a short video I made discussing the program, and to read more. There is also contact information for the FAPA staff.
Please enjoy the rest of your summer, and we look forward to seeing you back at school this Fall!
Sincerely,
Dr. Kathleen Hermsmeyer
Superintendent
