On August 27, 2024, St. Mary’s Ryken High School (SMR) in Southern Maryland introduced a four-year Flight Academy Aviation Program with support from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and local community partnerships. The program offers high school students pathways to become private pilots or drone operators, based on AOPA’s nationally recognized High School Aviation STEM Curriculum.
In its inaugural year, 46 students have enrolled in the program, which has received strong backing from the local community. Bonnie Green, Executive Director of The Patuxent Partnership (TPP), played a significant role in securing funding through a collaboration with the U.S. Navy Patuxent River Naval Air Warfare Center’s Strategic Education Office. These funds will be used to upgrade 18 state-of-the-art flight simulators, enhancing the hands-on learning opportunities available to students.
“The SMR Flight Academy Aviation Program plays a valuable role in student engagement in aviation education and career opportunities, supporting our STEM pipeline and Naval Aviation,” said Green. “TPP is pleased to support this important work.”
Located in a region rich in aviation history, SMR is leveraging its position to become a hub for training the next generation of pilots and aviation professionals. The school’s leadership and community collaboration are seen as crucial in meeting the growing national demand for skilled aviators.
SMR President Rick Wood highlighted the importance of the program, stating, “Our interactive classroom offers every student the chance to gain valuable knowledge and insights in the aviation field. We are deeply thankful to our community partners and AOPA for their support in developing this program, and we are excited to cultivate future aviators ready to excel in one of the nation’s fastest-growing job markets.”
The program marks a significant milestone as the first AOPA Foundation Curriculum school on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Glenn Ponas, Director of High School Outreach for the AOPA Foundation, expressed his enthusiasm for SMR’s initiative. “The dedication of the program’s leadership to aviation workforce development means that more students from the Southern Maryland area will have clear pathways to the many job opportunities at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station and beyond,” Ponas said. “This program represents the St. Mary Ryken leadership team’s vision of helping students’ aviation dreams take flight.”
Beyond classroom learning and flight simulations, SMR is also working to create partnerships with local flight schools. These collaborations aim to bridge the gap between academic instruction and real-world flight experience, helping students move from simulators to actual cockpits by their senior year. The ultimate goal is to offer students the opportunity to achieve initial flight certification before graduating, setting them up for further training and certification in the aerospace industry.
The AOPA Foundation supports over 500 similar programs nationwide, serving more than 1,100 schools in 48 states. Altogether, these programs reach more than 23,000 students across 2,100 class sessions, preparing them for careers as pilots, drone operators, engineers, mechanics, and other aerospace professionals.
St. Mary’s Ryken’s Flight Academy represents a growing focus on STEM education at the high school level, with aviation seen as a critical field for future workforce development. As the aviation industry continues to grow, programs like SMR’s are becoming increasingly vital in preparing students for the many opportunities in the field.
To learn more about the SMR Flight Academy program, visit www.smrhs.org/flightacademy.
