The FAA’s STEM Aviation and Space Education (AVSED) program is highlighting four ways for K–12 educators to bring aviation and aerospace into classrooms this school year — including a new Aerospace Workforce Educator Pilot Program for teachers of grades 3–5, limited to ten educators in its inaugural year. The lineup also includes the FAA Adopt-a-School Program, the Minecraft-based Airport Design Challenge, and summer Aviation and Career Education (ACE) Academies. Educators can learn about all of it at an FAA Aerospace Education Open Forum on September 23, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. ET, featuring NASA, the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, the Academy of Model Aeronautics, and Jamail Larkins of Aviation Start.
All four programs are free to educators. Here’s what each offers and how to get involved.
New: Aerospace Workforce Educator Pilot Program
For educators serving grades 3–5.
The newest offering is a small, structured pilot: ten educators will receive a complete aerospace curriculum package and FAA support for the full 2026–2027 year.
Participants get:
- Six complete aerospace-themed lesson plans
- PowerPoint presentations, classroom materials, and student activity worksheets
- Interactive review games
- Support from FAA staff throughout the school year
- Connections between classroom learning and aerospace career pathways
Participants also help shape what comes next — the FAA will use their feedback to design future educator engagement and workforce education efforts.
With only ten slots, interested teachers should move quickly. Email 9-apl-faaeducation@faa.gov for details and to express interest.
FAA Adopt-a-School Program
For schools serving grades 3–5.
Adopt-a-School pairs FAA personnel with schools in their own communities. During the school year, participating FAA staff may visit classrooms, talk with students about their work, support career exploration, and help with aerospace-focused lessons.
The appeal is authenticity. Students meet the people who actually run the national airspace system — and discover how many different professions it takes to keep it moving, from air traffic controllers to engineers to safety inspectors.
The program complements science, STEM, technology, and career-readiness instruction. Schools interested in participating can learn more at faa.gov/adopt-a-school and contact their regional FAA STEM AVSED point of contact, listed on the program’s Contact Us page.
Airport Design Challenge
For K–12 students, available year-round.
The Airport Design Challenge asks students to design their own airports in Minecraft, working individually or in teams while learning about airport operations, engineering, planning, and emerging technologies.
Because it runs year-round, it fits almost anywhere:
- STEM, engineering, technology, or geography classes
- After-school programs and clubs
- Career exploration units
- Team projects
- Independent learning
The FAA also recognizes outstanding projects and gives students opportunities to showcase their work. Details and materials are at faa.gov/adc.
Using Minecraft is a smart choice. It meets students on a platform many already know, and airport design is a surprisingly rich problem — runway orientation, taxiway flow, terminal layout, and airspace considerations all involve real engineering tradeoffs.
ACE Academies
Summer aerospace experiences for students.
FAA co-sponsored Aviation and Career Education (ACE) Academies give students hands-on exposure to aerospace careers through mentorship and real-world experiences. Working with aviation and community partners, academies connect students with pilots, engineers, aircraft technicians, and air traffic controllers.
Depending on the academy, activities may include visits to aviation facilities, hands-on demonstrations, career exploration, and orientation flights.
Students and families can find an academy at faa.gov/education/ace_academy.
Organizations can also start one. The FAA provides resources and guidance for groups interested in bringing an ACE Academy to their community — email 9-apl-faaeducation@faa.gov to get started.
That second point deserves attention from the aviation community, not just educators. Flight schools, FBOs, airports, EAA chapters, and aviation nonprofits are exactly the kinds of local partners that make these academies work. A flight school that hosts or partners on an ACE Academy reaches students at the point where career interest forms — and offers the kind of orientation flight experience that turns curiosity into commitment.
Open Forum: September 23
The FAA is hosting an Aerospace Education Open Forum on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. ET, with information and resources from the FAA and national partners:
- NASA
- Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP)
- Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA)
- Jamail Larkins of Aviation Start
Registration is through Zoom via the FAA’s education pages. The FAA encourages educators to register even if they can’t attend live — registered participants will receive additional resources and a recording.
Why Grades 3–5
Two of the four programs specifically target upper elementary students, which is earlier than most aviation outreach aims.
There’s a reasoning behind that. Aviation’s workforce challenges are substantially problems of awareness — roughly a third of aviation maintenance technician school seats sit unfilled nationally, largely because students don’t know those careers exist. Most high school aviation programs, including AOPA’s growing STEM curriculum, reach students after many have already formed ideas about what careers are “for people like them.”
Reaching students at eight to eleven years old — before those assumptions harden — plants the idea that pilots, controllers, mechanics, and engineers are real people doing jobs they could do too. The FAA’s framing is explicit: helping students discover possibilities they may never have considered.
It pairs well with programs already reaching older students. A child who designs an airport in Minecraft in fourth grade, meets an air traffic controller in fifth, attends an ACE Academy in middle school, and takes an aviation STEM course in high school has had a continuous thread of exposure — which is how career pipelines actually form.
How to Get Involved
Teachers of grades 3–5: email 9-apl-faaeducation@faa.gov about the Educator Pilot Program — only ten spots.
Schools: explore Adopt-a-School at faa.gov/adopt-a-school and contact your regional STEM AVSED coordinator.
Any K–12 educator: start the Airport Design Challenge anytime at faa.gov/adc.
Families: find a summer ACE Academy at faa.gov/education/ace_academy.
Aviation organizations: consider partnering on or starting an ACE Academy in your community.
Everyone: register for the September 23 open forum, even if you can’t attend live.
Additional resources are at faa.gov/education, including K–12 curriculum materials and an aviation and space careers guide.
The Bottom Line
The FAA’s 2026–2027 education lineup gives K–12 educators four free ways to bring aerospace into classrooms: a new ten-educator pilot program with complete curriculum for grades 3–5, Adopt-a-School partnerships with local FAA staff, the year-round Minecraft Airport Design Challenge, and summer ACE Academies with hands-on experiences and orientation flights.
The September 23 open forum is the easiest starting point. And for the aviation community itself, the ACE Academy invitation is worth taking seriously — the next generation of pilots and technicians is sitting in elementary and middle school classrooms right now, and local aviation organizations are well placed to reach them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FAA Aerospace Workforce Educator Pilot Program? It’s a new FAA initiative for the 2026–2027 school year serving educators who teach grades 3–5. Ten educators will participate in the inaugural pilot, receiving six complete aerospace-themed lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations and classroom materials, student worksheets, interactive review games, FAA staff support throughout the year, and connections to aerospace career pathways. Participants also provide feedback to shape future FAA education efforts. Interested educators should email 9-apl-faaeducation@faa.gov.
What is the FAA Airport Design Challenge? The Airport Design Challenge invites K–12 students to design their own airports using Minecraft, learning about airport operations, engineering, planning, and emerging technologies. It is available year-round and can be used in STEM, engineering, technology, or geography classes, after-school programs, clubs, career exploration activities, team projects, and independent learning. The FAA recognizes outstanding projects. Details are at faa.gov/adc.
What are FAA ACE Academies? Aviation and Career Education (ACE) Academies are FAA co-sponsored summer programs that give students hands-on exposure to aviation and aerospace careers through mentorship and real-world experiences, connecting them with pilots, engineers, aircraft technicians, and air traffic controllers. Activities may include facility visits, demonstrations, career exploration, and orientation flights. Academies can be found at faa.gov/education/ace_academy, and organizations interested in starting one can email 9-apl-faaeducation@faa.gov.
How does the FAA Adopt-a-School Program work? Adopt-a-School connects FAA personnel with schools serving grades 3–5 in their local communities. During the school year, participating FAA staff may make classroom visits, talk with students about their careers, support career exploration, and assist with aerospace-focused learning. Schools can learn more at faa.gov/adopt-a-school and contact their regional FAA STEM AVSED point of contact.
When is the FAA Aerospace Education Open Forum? The forum takes place September 23, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time via Zoom, featuring the FAA along with NASA, the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, the Academy of Model Aeronautics, and Jamail Larkins of Aviation Start. The FAA encourages educators to register even if they cannot attend live, as registrants will receive additional resources and a recording.
Sources:
