The STAY program takes flight
GOSHEN, Ind. -- Goshen High School students now have the opportunity to participate in a career pathway that teaches students about the aviation industry. With a current aviation job shortage upon us, this program aims to give students a straight pathway to this career upon graduation.
Gina Leichty, Mayor for the City of Goshen, explains, “they're aging out, and so we need to make sure that young people know about these incredible opportunities right here in our own community.”
The STAY program stands for STEM in Aviation Youth and offers hands-on experience. Students over the course of a year and a half will have the opportunity to assemble an actual airplane!
Tami Hicks, President and CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Elkhart County, says, “we are going to be building a Zenith 750 airplane, a real airplane, and teaching kids all the different aspects of building a plane, but also aviation and all the different career pathways that they can choose in the field of aviation.”
24 local students are participating in the program this year, and Matt Bronson, the founder of this program, says this course will prepare students with many life skills.
Matt Branson, Founder and CEO of STAY Program: “So this helps them become an aircraft mechanic, gets them hours towards their amp and working with their hands. A lot of the local schools have gotten rid of the industrial arts, so this is working with tools and teaching kids how to work with tools, which there aren't many opportunities for them to do that anymore.”
A sophomore at Goshen schools explains to ABC 57’s Sidney Moore that this is his first year taking the course and he is eager for a challenge. Dylan Olan says, “I originally wanted to be an aerospace engineer, but being an aircraft mechanic also sounds like it could be really fun, so I'm looking forward to that too.”
The mayor explains that this program will do a great job of keeping students interested in what they are learning in school.
Leichty says, “What could be more exciting for a kid to know that the plane that you are building is one that you will have the opportunity to fly as well? I can't think of anything more motivating to keep a kid's attention focused in school on mathematics and science and engineering.”
The course will begin Aug. 18 from 4-6 after school. After the airplane is assembled, students will be able to take the knowledge they learned in the course and apply it, getting the opportunity to fly the plane they built.