Expands Education Programs To Get Young People Flying

EAA signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday with the National Flight Academy of Pensacola, FL, establishing a relationship to support aviation education programs that engage and motivate young people. The agreement will allow EAA and the National Flight Academy to explore all opportunities to integrate and jointly promote their programs that bring the world of flight to a new generation.

"EAA's youth aviation education programs, led by the 1.5 million young people flown in the Young Eagles programs since 1992, are unmatched in their outreach," said Tom Poberezny, EAA's chairman/president.  "As we develop the next steps to build aviation participation within a new generation, opportunities such as those found at the Naval Flight Academy will be essential toward inspiring and engaging those with an interest in flight."

Along with Young Eagles and the newly expanded offerings for those participants, EAA has established programs such as the annual EAA Air Academy residence camps in Oshkosh, and a variety of education programs based through the organization's local chapters and through the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh.

As part of the agreement, EAA will support the National Flight Academy's efforts to establish a leading aviation learning experience based in Pensacola that uses flight to increase interest in science, technology, engineering and math.

The National Flight Academy, which will open in early 2012, will be located adjacent to the National Naval Aviation Museum on Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida.  The Academy, however, is not owned, operated or funded by the U.S. Navy or Department of Defense.  The goal is to create 5½-day residence programs for seventh- through 12th-grade students each year, plus shorter weekend sessions, which emphasize sciences, problem-solving and team-building in a way that inspires learning and discovery through flight.

"Our mission is to inspire and ignite a passion for science, technology, engineering and math through aviation and, in particular, using naval aviation as a motivating force," said retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Gerald Hoewing, president of the National Flight Academy.  "EAA's outreach to both the aviation community and to young people through Young Eagles and other programs makes it a partner that can help us raise interest in aviation as well as discovery of the sciences and engineering."

FMI: www.nationalflightacademy.com, www.eaa.org