Author: Bill Pritchett

Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/11
Page Numbers: 159

Education through Aviation by Bill Pritchett, Education Director

"I know of no way of judging the future but by the past." —Patrick Henry

I am often asked about what's next for AMA Education. We seem to have covered quite a bit of ground so folks have their appetites whetted. Although I think that's a great thing, it's also good to look to the past for direction.

Thanks to a great staff, education committee, a wonderful Executive Council, and administrative support, your Education department has been able to do these things in the last three years. Give this a look.

Accomplishments and activity of the AMA Education department (since June 1, 2010):

Programs/accomplishments

  • Began offering Free Youth membership (versus $1 in the past).
  • Saw Youth membership grow from 11,000 to 45,000.
  • Created Flightline, a monthly Youth electronic newsletter.
  • Achieved mass distribution of science, technology, engineering, and math-certified (STEM) programming for middle school science teachers, providing six weeks of curriculum (AeroLab).
  • Developed and implemented the Model Airplane Student Club initiative.
  • Developed and produced the AMA Education Award for Outreach.
  • Created Educational website AMA Flight School to answer the question "How do I?"
  • Launched interactive aviation/educational games on Flight School website.
  • Received national support for individuals and clubs providing educational outreach utilizing model aircraft as a platform for learning.
  • Developed AMA Flight School mobile/tablet version.
  • Introduced Mobile RC Experience, a 28-foot trailer that exposes model aviation to thousands nationally. It is equipped with five flight simulators, video gear, and a sound system for flight demonstrations.
  • Added the Cooper Memorial to the AMA Scholarship Program, providing more scholarship award funds to more college students ($40,000 annually).
  • Implemented Camp AMA, an onsite, week-long camp for 13- to 19-year-old RC pilots.
  • Created AMA Youth Ambassador Program.
  • Supported three Civil Air Patrol RC Camps (more than 100 cadets soloed in 2013 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Salina, Kansas; and California).
  • Created presentation for Teacher Day at EAA AirVenture.

Partnerships

  • Partnered with The Children's Museum of Indianapolis and NASA to produce Emmy award-winning "Wings Over Indiana."
  • Developed partnerships with FAA Education, the EAA, Youth Aviation Adventure, NASA, Soaring Society of America, Commemorative Air Force, and the Civil Air Patrol.
  • Science Olympiad partner, helped with content development, and scholarship contributor.

Works in progress

  • Working on content development for AMA Flight School to include secondary-level students.
  • Developing Learning Management System for AMA Expo 2014 release as part of AMA Flight School.
  • Creating a partnership with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). AMA has been invited to speak and present at the AOPA's summit in Fort Worth, Texas, this year.
  • Developing partnership with Conner Prairie Interactive History Park near Indianapolis.
  • Building partnerships with Wings over the Rockies and Air Zoo—two renowned aviation museums.
  • Producing and planning the 2014 release of an EAA/AMA video promoting use of model aviation at Young Eagle events.
  • Developing AeroLab II online through the upcoming Learning Management System, which will include instructional videos.
  • Planning to speak at the Soaring Society of America's (SSA) annual convention in Reno, Nevada.

Awards/recognitions

  • Awarded the National Aeronautic Association's 2011 Brewer Trophy.
  • Received a second Alcoa grant.
  • The Basement Design + Motion received two ADDY Awards from the American Advertising Foundation for its work on the AMA Flight School campaign.
  • Received a NASA Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums grant to create Curious Scientific Investigators: Flight Adventures exhibit at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis.

Other activities and organizations in which AMA participated:

  • USA Science and Engineering Festival
  • Women in Aviation International
  • 4-H
  • Girl Scouts
  • Boy Scouts and Boys Scout Aviation Explorers
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters
  • Boys and Girls Club of America
  • Snowball Express
  • West Michigan Aviation Academy
  • National Science Teachers Association
  • Celebrate Science Indiana
  • New Jersey Science and Engineering Festival
  • Southwest Airlines' Adopt-A-Pilot
  • Whitebox Learning
  • FAA workgroup to develop community-based organization and operating model aviation parameters for the AMA
  • Contributor to AMA 101—a primer
  • Science, Technology, Engineering Preview Summer Camp for girls
  • ROTC
  • JROTC
  • Challenger Learning Center St. Louis

Fly and have fun!

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.