Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Off we go into the wild school yonder

The Seattle Times reports on the groundbreaking of Washington's innovative, aeronautical-centered high school, the $43.5 million Raisbeck Aviation High School.

The curriculum of the aviation high school has been in place for several years, but there's never been a brick-and-mortar school of their own. But in 2013, they'll pop the hatches on a facility all their own, located on the site of the Air & Space Museum at Boeing Field.

The aviation high school is the state's pinnacle in cutting-edge education. A public-private partnership with input from Boeing and other aeronautical companies offering support and technical assistance.

The school both inspires and supplies the next generation of aeronautical engineers for our local industry, which must replace the baby-boomer generation of engineers retiring at a rapid rate. For them, the Space Race was their muse. The Apollo and shuttle programs stoked their minds and imaginations.

These days, it's more difficult to catch and hold the attention of students contemplating their own future careers. It's hoped the new aviation high school will fill that void by exposing high-schoolers to applied science and technology and broaden their horizons, just as Washington's homegrown industry has broadened the planet's for a century.

Read the full story here.

Apture