12 Dec National Flight Academy Receives $50K Sponsorship from Brookley Aeroplex Companies
By Malerie Shelton-Mshelton@navalaviationmuseum.org
December 12, 2016 –Pensacola, Fl—As a result of a collaborative effort between the Mobile Airport Authority Foundation and Brookley Aeroplex companies, 36 students from two Mobile, Ala., high schools will be sponsored to attend the National Flight Academy’s six-day Deployment program on June 4, 2017.
The Brookley Aeroplex STEM Initiative is a collaborative effort of the Brookley Aeroplex aviation business community and is funded through sponsorships from Continental Motors, Airbus Americas, VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering, Alabama Power, Star Aviation, Signature Aviation and the Mobile Airport Authority Foundation.
The total sponsorship investment is more than $50,000 and covers the six-day Deployment tuition and bus transportation for all students to the facility.
Using a competitive application process, the Brookley Aeroplex sponsors, along with representatives from B.C. Rain High School and the Alabama School of Math and Science, will identify participating children in 10th through 11th grades.
The National Flight Academy’s deployment adventure begins on a landlocked, virtual aircraft carrier, AMBITION (CVT-11). Students live aboard for six days and experience theme park-style thrills surrounded by advanced technology, flight simulators and virtual reality missions that ignite imagination and encourage learning. This partnership allows the above organizations to work together to inspire and engage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics with a goal of promoting workforce development.
“THE NFA STEM program sponsored by the Brookley Aeroplex aviation business community is a way for us to be involved in the community and help the next generation see the value of focusing on STEM while in school,” says Rhett Ross. “Our goal is to excite the next generation of workers to realize that there are great careers with great pay as long as you leave high school with a STEM foundation.”
Another component of the Brookley Aeroplex STEM Initiative incorporates facility tours and job shadowing of participating companies. Students will gain real-world skills and hands on learning experiences while developing 21st century skills needed for success.
“It is an honor for us to partner with the Brookley Aeroplex aviation business community in their effort to invest in the next generation,” said Gen. Duane Thiessen, chief executive officer and president of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation.
“By exposing students to various workplaces then applying skills at the National Flight Academy, they can better align their passions and make early connections to the employment available to them,” he furthered.
About the National Flight Academy
The National Flight Academy, located aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida, is designed to address the serious concerns of declining Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills and standards in our country. The Academy’s mission is to inspire students who subsequently return to their parent schools and seek out the more challenging courses in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
The NFA is a self-supporting, tuition-based educational program. In order to make the National Flight Academy adventure a reality for as many students as possible, we are committed to a financial aid program that enables a demographically and geographically diverse student population to attend. We welcome support from individuals, corporations and foundations for both our scholarship program and general operation funds. The National Flight Academy, a program of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation Inc., is authorized but not endorsed or funded by the U.S. Navy or U.S. Government.
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