F/O Tim Newcomb (Endeavor Air) reads The Noisy Airplane Ride to preschool students during a classroom visit.

The 2016–17 school year is under way, and ALPA’s Education Committee volunteers are gearing up to visit classrooms across the U.S. and Canada to give students a firsthand account of what it’s like to be an airline pilot.

“Being an airline pilot is arguably one of the best jobs in the world,” said F/O Mark Haley (United), ALPA’s Education Committee chairman. “However, given the demands of our jobs and the training and skills required, it’s critical that ALPA leads the initiative to cultivate the next generation of pilots. Our volunteers are dedicated to mentoring collegiate aviators so they become skilled professionals alongside our members in the cockpit and committed to ensuring a pipeline of interested candidates well into the future.”

ALPA’s Education Committee has evolved significantly over the past several years, and its outreach continues to grow as part of the Association’s strategic goal to secure the future of the piloting profession. Working under ALPA’s Professional Development Group, the Committee promotes the piloting profession, advocates for ALPA, and mentors aspiring aviators by visiting university and pre-K through high school students and participating in community and industry events to encourage students to consider becoming airline pilots.

Currently, ALPA has professional development and/or mentoring programs at nine universities—Central Washington University, Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, Fla.; and Prescott, Ariz., campuses), Lewis University, Parks College of St. Louis University, Purdue University, Southern Illinois University, University of North Dakota, and Western Michigan University. Education Committee volunteers visit these universities on a regular basis to talk with students about crew resource management, training, preparing for airline pilot job interviews, and other aviation-related topics that emphasize professionalism. These programs help bridge the gap between the classroom and the flight deck, further preparing collegiate aviators for their airline piloting careers. ALPA is also working to develop relationships with an additional dozen university aviation programs in the U.S. and Canada.

In addition to meeting with college-age students, Education Committee volunteers talk with pre-K through high school students at their schools and at industry- and community-sponsored events to encourage them to learn more about the piloting profession. These outreach efforts have increased substantially over the past two years.

Last year, ALPA members reached nearly 9,000 grade-school students, sharing their flying experiences and leading interactive discussions about life as an airline pilot. That’s almost double the number of students reached during the 2014–15 academic year.

This year, the committee is working to establish relationships with schools that emphasize a science, technology, engineering, and math curriculum, as these students are generally predisposed to use those subjects as springboards for their careers. The committee is also working to launch a new and enhanced www.ClearedToDream.org website for students interested in more information about the piloting profession.

“Our work is far from over, and our volunteers are excited to be back in classrooms sharing their love of flying and getting the next generation of pilots ready for their future careers,” Haley said.