15,000 Students to Be 'Mentored' in School-to-Career Program

So commercial pilots can navigate a 72,000-pound aircraft at speeds of 250 mph through various weather conditions; can they fold a paper airplane as well as a 10-year-old? More than 450 Southwest Pilots will give it a try this year as they coach fifth-grade students in Southwest Airlines' Adopt-A-Pilot program.

With the program's official launch, more than 15,000 students across the country will 'adopt' Southwest Pilots. Together, Pilots and classes will implement program curriculum that incorporates science, math, geography, language arts, and other subjects to discover more than just how an airplane flies -- to see how education is critical in reaching one's personal goals.

The Southwest Airlines Adopt-A-Pilot program is a four-week mentorship program where Pilots volunteer their time in adoptive classrooms and correspond from the "road" via electronic mail and postcards. Using an official United States route map, each class charts its adopted Pilot's course. The students record the daily flying statistics sent by their Pilots into the Adopt-A-Pilot curriculum provided.

"We couldn't be more impressed by the personal commitment of these Pilots who want to make a difference. We hear from teachers that many students have gained increased self-esteem and determination for future careers as a result of the Adopt-A-Pilot program," says Greg Crum, Southwest's vice president of flight operations. "At a time when all airlines are cost-conscious, Southwest has continued to advocate and increase support for this worthwhile program."

Reinforcing the school-to-career theme this year will be a national contest, called "What's Your Destination?" Adopt-A-Pilot classes will be invited to script, direct, perform, and produce their own three-minute video depicting careers each student hopes to pursue some day. The winning class will earn a roundtrip educational field trip to a nearby Southwest destination.

As part of its "good neighbor policy", Southwest Airlines has also collaborated with San Antonio PBS station KLRN-TV to produce AirFair, an online resource featuring aviation history, science, and Adopt-A-Pilot links along with streaming video segments that describe aviation careers.

FMI: www.careerfest.net/airfair; www.southwest.com/adoptapilot