Airline donates iPads to students

American Airlines has donated 300 iPads to the Aerospace Center for Excellence (ACE) on the SUN ‘n FUN campus at Lakeland Linder International Airport.

The donation is part of the airline’s initiative To Care for People on Life’s Journey.

Richele Floyd, director of scholarships for ACE, says she’s already thinking of ways to incorporate the tablets into its programs.

“The iPads can aid in creating memorable experiences for students and guests alike. Examples include the Florida Air Museum’s Kid Zone, which can enable a child to experience directing aircraft through the skies as an Air Traffic Controller; Destination Aviation summer camp students can create flight plans; and our High School UAV Club members can use first person view to navigate a quadcopter. With a donation such as this, there is a lot we can do to enhance learning opportunities” she said.

Industry partnerships are a critical component of the overall success of the Aerospace Center for Excellence, which has a mission to “engage, educate and accelerate the next generation of aerospace professionals,” according to officials

“Technology-based donations are always in need because of the wide variety of ways that ACE utilizes them and the pace in which computer technology itself changes,” says Michelle Rhinesmith, Director of Development at ACE. “With four certified teachers on staff, we get very creative how we deliver aerospace-based programs and experiences to the 50,000 students and thousands of museum guests that we engage with on an annual basis.”