On May 30, ARSA Vice President of Operations Brett Levanto visited with three classes of sixth grade students at Bush Hill Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia. Levanto was making good on the association’s “homework assignment” (see below) to introduce aerospace careers in local schools.
Levanto’s goal for each 15 minute presentation was simple: Tell the students that whatever their strengths or interests, someone in aviation is utilizing the knowledge or skills they find interesting. After asking for examples of aviation jobs, he acknowledged the trick in the request: Every job is (or can be) an aviation job.
He also shared a bit of ARSA’s core compliance philosophy, explaining that while many adults and students follow the directions of authority for the sake of “getting by”, aerospace professionals get to show compliance for themselves. Through partnership and sometimes conflict with regulators, every role in the industry can stand up for their own right outcomes.
“If you want to be able to show others that you’re doing the right thing, rather than just doing what you’re told,” Levanto said, “then we’ve got a job for you.”
After brief discussion and viewing of highlights from the 2025 Aerospace Maintenance Competition in Atlanta, he closed by providing each student with a paper airplane template. Along with the folding lines and instructions on the sheet were included a number of websites providing interesting resources for students curious about aerospace opportunity. When complete, the airplane boasts an ARSA logo and avmro.arsa.org/careers on each side of the “fuselage,” along with industry and educational links on the starboard wing.
Click the image to download a copy of ARSA’s paper airplane template.
The association renews its challenge to members to get into classrooms (or invite them to you). For resources from the FAA, review the 2019 update below. If you want to follow Levanto’s “curriculum,” here it is at glance:
(1) Introduction and open questions about aviation: Have you ever flown in a plane? Received a package delivery? Used a GPS? Can you name an aviation job (they’re all aviation jobs)?
(2) Personal history: Explain why you’re in aviation and what you do.
(3) Basic point: Share the essential skill of your work (for ARSA, showing compliance).
(4) Video or presentation: Click here to see the AMC highlight video.
(5) Leave a gift: Company swag? Feel free to use ARSA’s paper airplane template (print on both sides).
(6) Discussion time: Answer questions honestly…even if they are a little off the wall.
Levanto took advantage of his daughter’s attendance at Bush Hill and an invitation for parent participation in career day. Similar opportunities can be produced with a little research and outreach: The National Center for Education Statistics has an online system for searching public school districts that can be found at nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch. Anyone taking to the classroom is invited to tell ARSA so the association can celebrate your assured success.
July 25, 2019
ARSA members should be accustomed to the association’s general encouragement to get involved in the community. For the sake of good corporate citizenship and long-term workforce development, there are plenty of reasons for aviation businesses to become familiar with the people and organizations around them.
In particular, involved companies should have open doors and regular exchange of ideas with local schools. This can mean supporting existing activities, participating in career days or visits and hosting field trips or other kinds of open houses for local students – an interesting way to let students get to know you and even build interest in your work (so they can do it someday).
The “Make a Windmill” exercise teaches kids about basic aerodynamics (and does not require a type certificate or completion of any FAA forms). Maintenance professionals could help students make a windmill, then talk about how the principles involved relate to aviation and connect it back to their work.
With the assistance of the FAA’s STEM Aviation and Space Education (AVSED) Outreach Program, ARSA is issuing a specific challenge to the aviation maintenance community: Teach at a local school.
Meeting this challenge doesn’t require a career change, but reaching out to a local school or schools (start with lower elementary – kindergartners provide a friendly, if distractible audience that you can visit and make an impact on for years to come) and following a few basic steps:
(1) Review the AVSED resources for educators (www.faa.gov/education/educators) and students (www.faa.gov/education/students).
(2) If you don’t already know any, find nearby schools. The National Center for Education Statistics has an online system for searching public school districts: nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch.
(3) Pick a school or schools and call the administration(s), explaining your goals and asking for the right point of contact within each school.
(4) Determine their level of interest and consider your own time and capability. You can offer to have your own team members visit for a “special activity” session for certain classes OR simply help connect teachers with AVSED resources.
(5) Do it! If your own team is going to “teach.” Just pick an activity – a good place to start is www.faa.gov/education/students/activities – print out whatever instructions or activity sheets you need, bring along any additional tools (or props from work you can show off) and go walk through it with the kids.
(6) Contact local media, share the experience through your own communications channels or use any other way you can to celebrate the activity.
(7) Follow up! Especially if you’ve just shared resources with the school, but even if you went there personally. Don’t make your engagement a one-time activity.
(8) Tell ARSA!
If you have any questions about school outreach in specific or workforce development efforts in general, contact Vice President of Operations Brett Levanto.
