Aviation program takes off at Maryland high school

On October 13, the Washington County Public Schools community gathered with the aviation community to celebrate the launch of a four-year aviation program at Williamsport High School.

Starting in ninth grade, students will have the opportunity to explore private pilot and drone pathways through the AOPA Foundation High School Aviation STEM Curriculum and pursue aviation maintenance education through Tango Flight, “a 501c3 educational non-profit corporation created to inspire the next generation of engineers, pilots, aviation mechanics and technicians.” Joseph Daversa, a computer science teacher, will take on the challenge of teaching the new curriculum. He’s not a pilot (yet), but has a passion for aviation and is great at motivating and building relationships with students.

Adam Parry, acting supervisor of Career Technology Education at Washington County Public Schools, said the program launch was met with excitement from the nearly 40 students who are currently enrolled in the program all the way up to the board of education.

“The biggest thing is trying to find pathways that motivate students,” said Parry. “The ceremony was more or less memorializing this next step for us to be able to open new doors and pathways for our students which have never been there before. And it’s something that we see from a longevity standpoint, that this isn’t really going to go away.”

This year, 12 new Cessna flight simulators were brought into the classroom thanks to a $200,000 federal Perkins grant, which administrators hope will renew excitement for the program. The simulators aren’t a big part of the AOPA curriculum until eleventh grade, but Daversa works in simulator time as much as possible to engage the kids.

For Glenn Ponas, AOPA Foundation director of high school outreach, the Washington County Public Schools implementation is professional and personal. "It's always a proud moment when districts adopt the AOPA Foundation Curriculum. As a resident of Williamsport, Maryland, I'm thrilled to see students from my hometown using our curriculum to prepare for aviation and aerospace careers."

The AOPA Foundation is currently operating 460 programs that service more than 950 schools in 46 states and Washington, D.C. Altogether, 22,700 students in 2,075 class sessions are exploring and preparing for careers as pilots, drone pilots, engineers, mechanics, and other aerospace STEM professions.

When Parry and Daversa were first introduced to the AOPA Foundation’s curriculum, they attended a hands-on workshop at AOPA headquarters to familiarize themselves with the curriculum and get a better understanding of how it can be used to best serve their students. While nervous and unfamiliar with the subject matter, each walked out of the workshop feeling extremely confident.

Parry praised the curriculum, saying it’s unique and one of the most comprehensive he’s ever encountered. “I think we’re very fortunate that such an organization exists that is able to bring that to our students,”he said. “I personally would love to see more school systems adopt that throughout the state because it’s something that students need access to that they’re really not going to get anyplace else.”

The motivated group at Washington County Public Schools was so excited about the program that they made plans to supplement the AOPA curriculum with a mechanical aspect, to take the school’s program to another level. By the 2025–2026 school year, Williamsport hopes to integrate the Tango Flight portion of the aviation curriculum. Students will be able to gain hands-on experience by building an airplane with mentors from the local EAA chapters.

“It’s amazing how welcoming folks are in those communities when you explain what you’re doing,” said Parry.