Would ACES Academy Benefit Your University?

Abstract

In 1989 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) entered into a collaborative effort with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to design a model Aviation Career Education (ACE) Academy seminar. This collaboration was initially made exclusively with Embry-Riddle with the intent to replicate the program at other institutions after the model was established. The objective of the seminar was to introduce high school juniors and seniors to various aviation careers, allowing them to plan their final semesters in high school and set their higher-education goals. Additional goals of the program included: 1. Guiding high school students in exploring the role of aviation in history. 2. Discussing the airplane as a vehicle and identifying its parts and the principles by which it flies. 3. Taking participants on a flight to give them firsthand experience. 4. Helping students explore careers in aviation and aerospace. 5. Explaining the role of government in aviation and the overall socio-economic benefits of aviation. The FAA contacted Patricia Ryan, director of the Teacher Resource Center at Embry-Riddle, who developed the program with the assistance of Dave Esser, an associate professor in Embry-Riddle's Aeronautical Science Department. The FAA has since offered the program developed by Ryan and Esser at various locations around the nation. In 1994, Ryan and Esser decided the project could be better tailored to meet individual needs if each student was allowed to select a particular career field to explore. The enhanced program was renamed Aviation Career Education Specialization (ACES) Academy.