On Saturday, Nov. 11, Monique Bynum, community investor for Boeing, presented Wings of Hope with a ceremonial $100,000 check at the organization’s Career Exploration Fair which was held in the Wings of Hope hangar to coincide with the final session of the fall SOAR into STEM program.
The Boeing Global Engagement grant is the latest in Boeing’s support for SOAR into STEM which Boeing has been generously funding since we launched the hands-on STEM and aviation education program for students. Boeing provided the seed funding for the 2019 pilot program and has awarded grants every year since for a total of nearly $565,000 in financial support.
“Boeing’s support has been nothing short of life-changing for the hundreds of students who’ve participated in the SOAR into STEM program,” said Wings of Hope President Amy Cole Buehler. “Five years into the program, we’ve already seen program graduates go on to earn their pilot’s license, receive educational and flight training scholarships, and pursue STEM and aviation education in college. One young man, inspired to become a pilot after attending our SOAR into STEM program, was even admitted to the Air Force Academy.”
The 2023 grant will fund the expansion of SOAR into STEM into Washington, Mo., serving students in the Washington School District about an hour’s drive west of Wings of Hope’s headquarters at Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield, Mo.
“Our goal is equitable access to aviation education for all students,” said Tiffany Nelson, Wings of Hope Director of Programs and Evaluation.
SOAR into STEM addresses the industrywide shortage of pilots and mechanics, exposing students to the wide variety of aviation and STEM career paths through a free, 5-week, experience-based curriculum at the Wings of Hope hangar that culminates with students taking Young Eagle flights courtesy of the local chapter of the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA). To reach students with less access to STEM resources, the program also supports school outreach activities including field trips, classroom visits and attending community STEM events to involve and engage students in STEM fields. Wings of Hope offers additional opportunities for young people to gain exposure and experience in aviation careers by hosting student interns and summer camps.
