AOPA Foundation Adds Mx, Manufacturing to School Program

The AOPA Foundation’s High School Aviation STEM Curriculum is adding a maintenance and manufacturing pathway to complement the existing pilot, drone, and career preparation courses that have reached more than 130,000 students since 2016. Gregory and Cindy Kozmetsky’s GCK Legacy Fund is backing the new curriculum.

Designed to prepare students for careers in aviation maintenance and manufacturing, the program is supported by an advisory board of industry leaders and educators. There is no cost to participating schools.

Team members will spend two to three years developing the curriculum. A field test is planned “as early as 2028,” according to the foundation, which plans to “identify certifications and skills students need to enter the workforce, design hands-on learning experiences, and equip teachers with resources and training to deliver it effectively.”

“Like a lot of AOPA members, I’ve experienced the mechanic shortage firsthand,” said AOPA acting co-president Katie Pribyl. “Between long waits at shops that are booked out for months and annual inspections that stretch on for weeks—not to mention the void that’s left when a trusted A&P retires—the mechanic shortage has a real impact on our members every day.

“Every student in this course represents dozens of aircraft that can keep flying. That’s why the addition of this maintenance and manufacturing curriculum isn’t just good for students—it’s good for our members who depend on a healthy maintenance workforce to keep flying.”