Michigan-based jet engine manufacturer Williams International has donated $500,000 to the AOPA Foundation’s “You Can Fly” program, which supports aviation STEM initiatives “to help ensure a healthy future for aviation and aerospace,” according to AOPA.
Williams International CEO Gregg Williams said, “We have always been a leader in advancing education through a combination of apprenticeships, our internal education program, the aviation industry’s best rotational engineering program, and our WINGS flight training program. This donation to You Can Fly supports this vision, as it’s a significant step to help high school students get a head start in careers in aviation.”
AOPA President Mark Baker said, “AOPA is grateful for Williams International’s support. We have a shared interest in building general aviation and making flying viable for generations to come. AOPA and Williams International are always at the forefront of what’s next for aviation, and the generosity of partners like Williams makes the AOPA Foundation’s You Can Fly initiative and its tremendous impact possible.”
This year, according to AOPA, more than 14,000 high school students from all four grades students and representing 44 states are in the You Can Fly program. “AOPA is proud that 40 percent of students in the program come from minority backgrounds, 21 percent are female, and 54 percent attend mid- to high-poverty schools. The program recently celebrated its first graduates, 58 percent of whom reported that they plan to pursue aviation-related careers in fields such as piloting, aerospace engineering, and maintenance.”
