b'60 SRQ COMMUNITY RELATIONS Students ages five to 19 were exposed to a variety of aviation careers at the airports annual Take Your Child to Work Day in April. recommended that the school implement an aeronauticalLoomis is optimistic about the positive impact the new curriculum and aviation immersion program. campus will have for older students. Team Success has The Airport Authority also entered into an agreement withbecome a niche for low-income, minority students, so we see Manatee County School District in 2020, which will be the newthe importance of exposure beyond traditional education, he home for Manatee Technical College. says. Because of the population we serve, a lot of our kids see fewer options in terms of careers. This is another way for them Loomis has taken the lead in creating an outline for the after- to broaden their exposure to career opportunities.school aviation immersion program curriculum. Students will learn about aviation history as well as many aspects of operatingExposure to aviation can also lead to travel, which broadens an airport, from security, air traffic control and working with theyour horizons and world view, he adds. Thats important for airlines, to the importance of monitoring weather and wildlifeour kids, many of whom have not left the county much less the containment.country. In addition to its support role for the after-school program,Loomis notes that the aviation community as a whole has the Airport Authority will work with tenants to create internshipbeen extremely helpful and welcoming to the school and opportunities for older students. Drakulich says the ultimateits administrators. In addition to receiving primary support vision is to create an aviation community that serves as a directfrom SRQ and other airport businesses, the school has pipeline for students at Team Success and Manatee Technicalreceived offers of help from the Young Eagles, a division of the College, and ultimately into aviation careers. Experimental Aircraft Association; the Civil Air Patrol; and the Florida Goldcoast Ninety-Nines, an organization that promotesWe need to get these kids excited at an early age so theythe advancement of women in aviation.dont miss opportunities. There are things they can be involved in now to help shape their future, she remarks. Were runningI didnt realize the aviation community is such a vibrant one, out of mechanics and other important workers in aviation. Kidshe exclaims.may think about becoming a pilot or flight attendant, but theyBetween Team Success at SRQ and the airports annual Take dont think about the people on the ground and in corporateYour Child to Work Day, local students interested in aviation are positions. Through this partnership, theyll see there is so muchbound to set sky-high goals. involved in running an airport or an airline.July | August 2024AirportImprovement.com'