St. Mary’s Ryken Launches 4-Year Flight Academy Program Featuring Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Curriculum

On August 27, 2024, St. Mary’s Ryken High School (SMR) in Southern Maryland launched its new four-year Flight Academy Aviation Program with support from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and local community partnerships.

 

The new program allows high school students to enter private pilot or drone operator pathways based on the nationally implemented AOPA Foundation High School Aviation STEM Curriculum.  SMR has 46 students enrolled in the program in its first year and has been tremendously supported by local community partnerships.  Bonnie Green of The Patuxent Partnership (TPP) teamed with the U.S. Navy Patuxent River Naval Air Warfare Center Strategic Education Office to identify funding to upgrade the program’s 18 state-of-art flight simulators that will significantly augment the rich academic curriculum afforded by the AOPA program. 

“The SMR Flight Academy Aviation Program plays a valuable role in student engagement in aviation education and career opportunities, supporting our STEM pipeline and Naval Aviation,” said Bonnie Green, Executive Director of The Patuxent Partnership. “TPP is pleased to support this important work.”

Uniquely situated in a region steeped in aviation and flight testing, SMR is becoming a catalyst, working with the local community to help develop the next generation of pilots and aviation operators at the high school level to meet national demands. 

 

"Our interactive classroom offers every student the chance to gain valuable knowledge and insights in the aviation field," said SMR President Rick Wood. "We are deeply thankful to our community partners and AOPA for their support in developing this program, and we are excited to cultivate future aviators ready to excel in one of the nation's fastest-growing job markets."

“St. Mary’s Ryken’s program is the first AOPA Foundation Curriculum school on the Western shore of the Chesapeake Bay,” said Glenn Ponas, Director of High School Outreach for the AOPA Foundation. “The dedication of the program’s leadership to aviation workforce development means that more students from the Southern Maryland area will have clear pathways to the many job opportunities at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station and beyond. This program represents the St. Mary Ryken leadership team’s vision of helping students’ aviation dreams take flight.”

In addition to implementing the new curriculum and flight simulation environment, St. Mary’s Ryken is exploring partnerships with local flight schools to help bridge the journey from the academic and simulation environment into the actual cockpit by a student’s senior year.  Their goal is to facilitate the progression at the high school level from academic flight simulation to initial flight certification, providing a concrete aviation pathway for future aspiring leaders in the aerospace industry.

The AOPA Foundation operates more than 500 programs serving more than 1,100 schools in 48 states. Altogether, more than 23,000 students in 2,100 class sessions are exploring and preparing for careers as pilots, drone pilots, engineers, mechanics, and other aerospace STEM professionals. 

To learn more about the SMR Flight Academy program, please visit www.smrhs.org/flightacademy.