IAA to Host Tuskegee NEXT Summer Program

Tuskegee NEXT, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to empowering underrepresented youth, is proud to announce its transformative, **no cost** for training and supplies, Summer Aviation Program, to be hosted at Illinois Aviation Academy in summer, 2024.

Geared towards individuals between the ages of 18 and 20, this initiative aims to instill a passion for aviation while imparting essential education, life skills training, and the potential for future promising career opportunities. Tuskegee NEXT is committed to breaking barriers and ensuring that financial constraints never hinder aspiring aviators from reaching their dreams.

Honoring the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, Tuskegee NEXT seeks to transform the lives of under-represented youth through aviation education and career path opportunities.

Illinois Aviation Academy (IAA), a subsidiary of Spartan Education Group (SEG), is thrilled to be a sponsor and host for Tuskegee Next and help train cadets in their summer aviation program at IAA in Chicago, located at DuPage County Airport (KDPA). IAA is an FAA-approved part 141 school.

Robert Werderich, Executive Vice President of IAA said, "Illinois Aviation Academy is proud to sit on the Tuskegee Next board and to assist with their summer program as the primary 'host' location by providing simulation training, physical fitness training, team/leadership training, and traditional flight training. Cadets will experience the most dynamic learning experience possible. We have been able to help nearly all of the TN cadets complete a solo flight and 94% have obtained their FAA Private Pilot certificate."

IAA's dedication to continuous training for students and staff. The institution has secured the title of Distinguished and Outstanding Flight School five times, most recently in 2022, and has received five Distinguished Flight Instructor awards, the latest in 2023, from the AOPA. Adding to its impressive list of achievements, IAA was recently inducted into the Illinois Aviation Hall of Fame in October 2023.

Beyond training, IAA has been deeply committed to community involvement. Werderich highlighted the importance of giving back, stating, "Community involvement has been a backbone of IAA from the beginning." The school has actively supported aviation youth programs in West Chicago, contributing to organizations like The Ninety-Nines, the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, Explorer Scouts, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Tuskegee NEXT.

FMI: spartan.edu