NAHF and AviationStart Partner To Bridge K-12 to Careers

The National Aviation Hall of Fame has selected AviationStart as a strategic career pathway partner, linking its K-12 aviation STEM curriculum with AviationStart’s scholarship and workforce platform. This collaboration connects NAHF’s classroom-based aviation programs directly to AviationStart’s AI-powered scholarship discovery and career guidance tools, creating what the organizations described as a “seamless bridge from classroom engagement to aviation careers.”

The move comes as the industry faces significant workforce attrition and “one of the most severe aviation workforce shortages in history.” According to the CAE Workforce Forecast cited in the release, 83% of maintenance technicians and nearly half of all pilots are expected to retire within the next decade.

In 2025, NAHF said it reached 6,750 classrooms, supported more than 7,000 educators, and engaged more than 250,000 students through standards-based curriculum and hands-on programs. AviationStart, founded in 2025 by Jamail Larkins, reports 14,000 users in its first seven months, with approximately 2,000 new users joining each month.

“Our partnership with AviationStart represents a powerful extension of the National Aviation Hall of Fame’s mission to inspire the next generation of aviation and aerospace leaders,” said NAHF president and CEO Aimee Maruyama.

Under the agreement, AviationStart’s DreamLaunch Tour will prioritize schools using NAHF curriculum. Upcoming 2026 stops include events in Georgia, Texas, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Michigan. AviationStart will also be integrated into NAHF’s education webpage and participate in future student-focused programming.