STEM.Org Recognizes AOPA’S Efforts to Teach Aviation to High Schoolers

The AOPA Foundation’s High School Aviation STEM Curriculum received two accreditation honors from the prestigious independent credentialing and education research organization STEM.org.

The high school curriculum and corresponding materials were assessed during a rigorous and thorough process resulting in two Trustmarks being earned as the curriculum proved to meet the range of standards set by STEM.org experts.

As AOPA previously reported, “the science, technology, engineering, and math curriculum features six courses in two pathways—pilot and drones—for students in grades nine through 12 and can be used in public, private, charter, or parochial high schools. It is also available for home school co-op programs at the high school level. Schools may choose to use a single course or a four-year career and technical education program.”

More than 8,000 students participated in the AOPA Foundation’s STEM curriculum for the 2020-2021 school year. By the end of the two pathways, students have learned the material needed to pass the FAA private pilot or remote pilot knowledge tests.

The AOPA Foundation’s curriculum was used in more than 200 schools across 38 states in the 2020-2021 school year and will expand in the coming years. The curriculum is also attracting more students from backgrounds that are currently underrepresented throughout the aviation field, with 20 percent of the students in the curriculum being female, and 45 percent people of color.