Orville and Wilbur Wright will soon be teaching elementary school kids in Ohio.
The Dayton, Ohio, natives are central to a new partnership with the state of Ohio, PBS affiliate ThinkTV, and the National Aviation Hall of Fame that is creating aviation-focused learning for schools throughout the state, especially those most impacted by learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) program, “Discovering Flight: Learning with the NAHF” includes “Problem Solving with Wilbur and Orville,” created by the education experts at ThinkTV/PBS. The curriculum includes classroom activities, digital videos, interactive activities, and additional resources that bring science, history, and the invention of powered flight to life, according to officials with the National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF).
“Through the creation and promotion of a new and exciting STEAM curriculum, the NAHF is continuing Ohio’s strong legacy of being first in flight and first in aviation innovation,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “I applaud the hall of fame for its efforts to teach students about Ohio’s proud past, while also inspiring them to champion the future of Ohio-led STEAM — and specifically aviation — breakthroughs.”
Discovering Flight also includes “Why I Fly,” a series of short videos featuring an individual engaged in an aviation or aerospace career. Created by Hemlock Films, the focus of each film is to share the whole realm of aviation and aerospace careers with a young and diverse audience. The videos are shared on PBS digital media, the NAHF website, and will be available to visitors of the NAHF through an interactive kiosk. NAHF is housed in the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, which is on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton.
The partnership is made possible by the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER). The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSA), was signed into law on Dec. 27, 2021, and provides funding to combat pandemic-related learning loss and provide a solution to aviation and aerospace workforce shortages.
“We are grateful to the state of Ohio for its support of this bold initiative and honored to work with our content partners, ThinkTV/PBS, and Hemlock Films, to develop a turn-key program that benefits elementary age students and supports teachers throughout our state,” said NAHF President and CEO Amy Spowart. “The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a profound impact on student learning and mental health and is widening existing opportunity and achievement gaps. Our program aims to address this, particularly in under-resourced schools, and ignite the aviation and aerospace workforce of tomorrow.”