Bring Aviation to Middle Schools

If you can reach them, you can teach them.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, January 03, 2024 at 05:55 PM ET

Verified

The middle school years are a good time to talk to students about careers in aviation. [Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Guest pilots should prepare for middle school presentations by collaborating with teachers to align content with the curriculum, avoiding aviation jargon, and planning engaging, age-appropriate talks.
Effective presentations are concise (10-15 minutes), utilize props and visuals, incorporate simple hands-on activities, and manage expectations regarding student attention spans.
Presenters should conclude by answering questions, providing relevant giveaways, and informing students about age-appropriate external aviation opportunities to foster continued interest.

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The middle school years (ages 12 to 14) are often when many develop the interests that they take into adulthood, where they may become careers. Aviation is a good example, especially now as so many schools have implemented STEM curricula (science, technology, engineering and math)—which is a natural fit, as most aviation careers involve several of these disciplines.

Sometimes middle school teachers reach out to the local aviation community looking for pilots who would be willing to visit their class to do a short, age-appropriate presentation about flying.