Girls in Aviation Day gets $1 million boost

Women in Aviation International (WAI) has received a $1 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to support the association’s Girls in Aviation Day programs.

“For more than 30 years, WAI has been devoted to inspiring thousands and thousands of girls and women to pursue careers in aviation,” said Allison McKay, WAI CEO. “This grant will not only honor the legacy of Barron Hilton’s love of aviation, but will also provide us with the needed funding to multiply the reach of our Girls in Aviation Day program to inspire countless youth to pursue a never-before-considered future in aviation, aerospace, and STEM.”

International hotelier Conrad N. Hilton established the foundation that bears his name in 1944 to help people living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage worldwide. Today, the work continues, concentrating on efforts to ensure healthy early childhood development and sustainable livelihoods for youth, support young people transitioning out of foster care, improve access to housing and support services for people experiencing homelessness, and more. The foundation, one of the world’s largest with $7.5 billion in assets, has awarded grants totaling more than $2 billion, including $207 million in 2020.