Aviation academy soars in third year, exposing local youth to high-paying careers in flight
Students from Lenoir and Greene at ACE Academy. Photo: Kristy Kelly/Neuse News.
Middle and high school students from Lenoir and Greene counties are getting a high-flying start on potential aviation careers this summer through the Aviation Career Education (ACE) Academy, held at the North Carolina Global TransPark.
Now in its third year, the weeklong camp introduces students to aviation history, the science of flight and career opportunities in the aerospace industry. The program is offered at no cost to participants and is funded by a $5,000 grant from the N.C. Division of Aviation, with additional support from the Global TransPark and private sponsors.
Jeremy Stroud, executive director of the Global TransPark. Photo: Kristy Kelly/Neuse News.
“This program opens up opportunities that many kids in rural counties like Greene and Lenoir may not even know exist,” said Jeremy Stroud, executive director of the Global TransPark. “They get hands-on exposure to high-paying careers right here in Eastern North Carolina.”
Each year, the camp serves three levels of students, ranging from aviation novices to those with prior experience. Level one participants focus on the fundamentals of flight and aerospace careers. By level three, students are partnered with industry professionals for job-shadowing experiences and present their findings to peers and instructors.
Students split their time between classroom instruction and field trips. Half of each day is spent inside the Manufacturing and Industrial Training Center, a Lenoir Community College facility currently serving as the camp’s home base. The other half is spent at the Global TransPark or visiting aviation-related companies.
The curriculum is driven by career exploration, drone operation and applied science, according to instructor Allie Lewis, an English teacher at Greene Early College and one of the original ACE Academy educators.
“Everything we do ties back to real-world careers,” Lewis said. “They fly drones every day, both manual and coded flights, and even use them in simulated search-and-rescue missions.”
Classroom training. Photo: Kristy Kelly/Neuse News.
Field trips include visits to major aviation industry partners such as Draken International, which provides aggressor air support to the U.S. military; Flight Exclusive, a charter aviation and maintenance company; Spirit AeroSystems, a manufacturer of composite parts for Airbus; and Fleet Readiness Center East, which performs helicopter overhaul work at the site.
While the program is currently open only to students enrolled in Greene and Lenoir County public schools through their STEM or Career and Technical Education departments, organizers hope to expand access in the future.
“We’re not there yet, but our goal is to make it public-facing so any student in the area can participate,” Stroud said.
His own children have attended the camp and came away with a clearer understanding of the aviation industry and new ambitions.
“They were amazed by the simulators, drones and everything going on here,” Stroud said. “Now they know what’s out here and that there’s a future for them in it.”
The Global TransPark anticipates hosting the program next summer in a new Lenoir Community College facility currently under construction. For now, the focus remains on using hands-on engagement and real-world experience to inspire the region’s future pilots, engineers and aerospace technicians.
“This program isn’t just about planes. It’s about possibilities,” Lewis said. “And it’s changing lives.”
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