“Employed, Enrolled, or Enlisted”
Aerospace industry projections continue to show that a drastic shortfall of pilots, aerospace engineers, scientists, technologists, and technicians is on the horizon. Also, it is important to recognize that—while COVID has impacted many segments of the aviation industry in the short term—it has not diminished the demand for professionals that will be needed across a wide range of careers! Did you know that 763,000 new pilots will be needed in the world by 2039, based on Boeing’s Pilot and Technician Outlook? Ironically, the number of pilot certificates issued by the Federal Aviation Administration has decreased more than 60 percent since 1980. This mismatch of supply and demand presents a tremendous opportunity for students to pursue aviation careers that they may not previously considered.
The Thornton Alumni Legacy Fund is now capitalizing on this jobs opportunity by developing and supporting a new Aerospace and Aviation program for Thornton and District 205. The program is strategically aligned with TALF’s mission to provide students job opportunities and consistent with the District 205 “3E” theme of having students “Employed, Enrolled, or Enlisted” upon graduation.
The Aviation and Aerospace program offers a four-year curriculum with three career pathways for students to select from and pursue. The courses are designed to capture the imagination and give students from diverse backgrounds the tools to pursue advanced education and careers in aviation fields. Once students have completed the curriculum, they have learned the principles necessary to pass FAA knowledge tests. Curriculum completion will also help students build career ready skills while they learn opportunities in Aviation and Aerospace. The three pathways and related industry credentials are.
- Pilot: FAA Private Pilot written knowledge test
- UAS/Drone: FAA Part 107 Commercial Drone Pilot written test
- Aerospace Engineering: 3-D modeling software test
The curriculum was adopted from the Airplane Owners and Pilot Association (AOPA} organization who represents the world’s largest aviation community. AOPA created the High School initiative for high schools across the United States and was designed to rebuild the pilot population and the aviation industry from the ground up. The AOPA Foundation You Can Fly High School Aviation STEM Curriculum started in 2017 and is quickly being adopted at schools across the country, with 300 educational institutions in 44 states scheduled to use the curriculum in the 2021-2022 school year. In the 2020-2021 school year, teachers and students from mid-high and high-poverty schools accounted for 45 percent and 55 percent of participants, respectively. In addition, 20 percent of the students were female, and 45 percent of the students were people of color.
Full credit must be given to Thornwood teacher Carol Curtis who initiated adopting AOPA’s first semester curriculum in the fall of 2020 based on a recommendation from Captain Tim Richardson of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). In October of 2021, the program was presented by Tony Ratliff to District 205’s school board and officially approved as part of the District’s curriculum.
The AOPA program has been integrated as a subset of the CAP program. The integration of these two programs provides a powerful package of providing students with leadership and discipline skills along with a broad range of job opportunities. TALF’s contribution is collaborating with Carol on developing and marketing a four-year program and providing aviation expertise and knowledge to students in a classroom environment. Currently Ray Jakubiak of TALF and a pilot and flight instructor for 50 years is assisting Carol on the rollout and four-year development of the program.
The future strategy is to develop relationships with aeronautical universities and airline cadet programs for easy transition from high school to the advanced learning environment of education and obtain their pilot’s license. Universities being considered are Lewis University, Southern Illinois and Embry Riddle to name a just a few, What is the quickest way for a high school student to earn a seat on the flight deck of an airliner. We will also be exploring relationships with airline cadet programs such as – American Airlines Cadet Academy, Southwest Airlines Destination 225, and the United Airlines Academy.
It is an exciting time for TALF and District 205 as we continue to provide opportunities for students. Stay tuned for further progress!
Ray Jakubiak
TTHS ‘66
Photo credits:
Photo by Quintin Gellar: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-american-airplane-parked-on-airport-321159/
Photo by Frans van Heerden: https://www.pexels.com/photo/four-person-riding-aircraft-685311/
Photo by Blake Guidry on Unsplash
Thornton Township High School Alumni Legacy Fund 