OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma aeronautics has become a national model for aerospace and aviation education, enabling young Oklahomans to know that a career in aeronautics is not out of their reach.
In the spirit of NASA astronaut Dr. Shannon Lucid of Bethany, who received her bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission has turned its attention to guiding young minds toward aerospace and aviation careers.
Like Bessie Coleman – a Langston University student of Native American and African American descent who a century ago became the first Black woman to achieve a pilot’s license and was dedicated to the mission of creating more pilots – Oklahoma Aeronautics has become the force driving the state’s investment in students, vectoring them toward becoming aviators, engineers, mechanics, astronauts, and scientists.
Fifty-six organizations – including five in southwest Oklahoma – were awarded Aerospace and Aviation Education Program grants totaling $451,157 at the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission’s August meeting. Funding requests totaled more than $588,700 this year, the agency reported.
The OAC grants help finance targeted learning programs that have a direct application to aerospace and aviation for primary through post-secondary education. The grant funds are part of the agency’s initiative to give more Oklahoma young people access to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers in the aerospace and aviation industry.
Aviation and aerospace are a significant economic engine in Oklahoma, providing 206,000 direct and indirect jobs. The commission’s Aerospace and Aviation Education Program encourages both young and adult Oklahomans to consider aviation and aerospace as a career.
Oklahoma’s aviation and aerospace industry produces just under $44 billion in annual economic activity, making it the second largest economic engine in this state. The average salary in the industry is $73,300, making it one of the highest average salaries in the state. Oklahoma has 108 public airports, with more than 96% of our population being within 30 minutes from one of the 44 airports that have a 5,000-foot, jet-capable runway.
The Aerospace and Aviation Education Grant Program has awarded grants for more than 30 years. From fiscal years 2001-2023, the OAC approved $4.6 million in aero education funding.
In accordance with state statute, the commission fosters and encourages students to consider aerospace or aviation as a career. Based on program projections, the commission’s grant program will serve 50,196 students across the state. The initiative supports the Oklahoma Works project that aims to address the skills gap and connect students to programs that will help build the workforce of a major Oklahoma industry.