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Commission funds elementary aviation field-test expansion and celebrates Women in Aviation Day with 1,300 attendees
Summary
The commission approved $2,500 to expand a nine-week elementary aviation after-school field-test to two additional school districts and recapped Oklahoma Women in Aviation Day, which drew 1,300 attendees and extensive volunteer support.
The Oklahoma Aerospace Aeronautics Commission voted Dec. 11 to fund supplies for a nine-week after-school elementary aviation field test for two additional schools and highlighted the department’s recent Women in Aviation Day event, which drew strong participation from schools, partners and service members.
A staff presenter described a pilot program conducted the prior year at two elementary schools in which students participated in weekly aviation-related STEM activities and virtual sessions with pilots and FAA personnel. Staff asked the commission to approve $2,500 to provide hands-on supplies for McAlister Public Schools and Ada City Schools to replicate the nine-week field test this school year. Commissioners approved the request.
Commission staff also reviewed Oklahoma Women in Aviation Day, held in Tulsa at the 138th Fighter Wing, and said the event had 1,300 attendees, four venue spaces, 60 sponsoring companies, and more than 100 volunteers plus about 75 Air National Guard members supporting the program. The event featured keynote remarks from Col. Nicole Malakowski, the first female Thunderbird pilot, and included school assemblies, a 32-school student hangar, and a parade of student-created aviation flags through the main hangar.
Why it matters: The education funding supports hands-on STEM engagement in elementary schools and helps sustain a pipeline of interest in aviation careers. Women in Aviation Day showcased industry partnerships and workforce outreach, reinforcing statewide efforts to grow aviation and aerospace talent.
Clarifying details: The field-test program is a nine-week, weekly after-school program with virtual guest speakers and hands-on activities; $2,500 was requested and approved to cover supplies for two school districts (McAlister and Ada). Women in Aviation Day drew 1,300 attendees, 60 corporate partners, more than 100 volunteers, and involvement from the Air National Guard and state leaders.
