For the first time, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) will host a Build A Plane Teachers’ Day at its annual convention next month in Las Vegas.
Sponsored by Honeywell Aerospace, the Teacher’s Day will be held in conjunction with the annual Careers in Business Aviation Day, on Oct. 24, the third day of this year’s convention.
Keynote speaker for the event is astronaut Bonnie Jeanne Dunbar. She retired from NASA in September 2005 and then served as president and CEO of The Museum of Flight in Seattle until April 2010. Dr. Dunbar now leads the new University of Houston’s STEM Center (science, technology, engineering and math) and joined the faculty of the Cullen College of Engineering.
The Teachers’ Day will introduce high school teachers and students, as well as college students, to a variety of aviation education programs and opportunities. During the day, full admission to NBAA2013 will be free to event attendees.
The Careers in Business Aviation Day held during NBAA2013 will feature three tracks:
- Build A Plane Teachers’ Day, which will introduce educators to a variety of programs that use aviation to aid teachers in the instruction of science, math, engineering and technology (STEM) subjects. Lunch will be provided for the teachers, along with tours through the exhibit hall.
- A general session about business aviation careers for high school students, followed by a scavenger hunt and guided tour through the exhibit hall and static display of aircraft, will be conducted by NBAA.
- A special session for college students, hosted by NBAA, which will include roundtable discussions with industry professionals on the many career paths available in business aviation.
“We are amazed by the many great opportunities to use aviation to engage and motivate kids to learn,” said Lyn Freeman, president of Build A Plane. “Today’s students respond to real-world applications, and aviation really captures their attention. And all teachers and students get a free badge to attend the NBAA Convention Exhibits and Static Display of Aircraft after the presentations.”
During Build A Plane Teachers’ Day, speakers will present materials from industry, government and aviation organizations to expose students to all aspects of aviation. For example, educational materials will be available from Honeywell, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Air and Space Museum, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Academy of Model Aeronautics, the Experimental Aircraft Association, Fly to Learn, Aviation Explorers and more. A wide variety of free, take-home materials also will be available for all teachers.
“NBAA wants future workforce leaders to become engaged in the many career opportunities the aviation industry offers, which is why we sponsor events like this at our conventions, and also provide hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in student-scholarship and professional-development funds,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen.
Attendees participating in Teachers’ Day can receive one graduate credit from Viterbo University. A special tuition rate for Teachers’ Day participants has been provided.
For more information: BuildAPlane.org, NBAA.org/TeachersDay