mentoring, scholarships, training and youth-focused education programs through Project Aerospace. Stripes to Bars, Denver, CO Stripes to Bars is a 501(c)(3) public charity that enables qualified veterans to earn Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificates. In doing so, they assist those veterans transitioning from military to civilian life, while increasing the pilot population. Bob Hoover Academy, Salinas, CA The Bob Hoover Academy is a 501(c)3 non- profit corporation. They create opportunities that inspire at-risk and underserved teens to engage in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education and take flight in avia- tion. Aviation is a metaphor for the deeper mission, to capture students’ minds, focus their energies and cultivate success in the classroom and in life. ELEVATE Although each program was identified for its suc- cesses, ACF works hard to create opportunities for programs to collaborate and build on each other’s experiences. In 2017, ACF organized its first Elevate workshop, bringing together program leaders from around the nation to work together to network with peers, build competencies through experiential learn- ing, and meet face-to-face with thought leaders and donors. Out of the inaugural Elevate workshop, the idea for a student-focused Aviation Expedition was born. Jet Blue, Airlines for America, Vaughn College, Cradle of Aviation Museum, Associated Aircraft Group, Signature Flight Support, Sheltair, Kinematica USA and Sikorsky Helicopters came together with ACF to design a several-day immer- sion for high school students in the New York City area. Forty students made the journey, many of whom applied for, and earned, financial assistance to sup- port their attendance. For several students, the trip was their first opportunity to fly on an aircraft of any type. For everyone involved, seeing a diverse group of aviation professionals in a wide array of roles was not only eye-opening, it was also awe-inspiring. Recognizing that maximizing aviation’s impact for stu- dents requires partnering with teachers, program leaders Aviation Business Journal | 2nd Quarter 2018 Attendees of the Elevate II Workshop in San Francisco listen to a guest speaker and institutions, ACF’s annual Elevate Workshop has evolved into an opportu- nity to support educational leaders with tools they can take back to their programs and apply directly to work with students. At this year’s Elevate II function, held in San Francisco, attendees from a nationwide network of aviation partners began the meetings with a behind-the- scenes tour of San Francisco International Airport’s (SFO) airside operations, thanks to the SFO team. From there, the group took an ACF shuttle bus to visit Facebook’s Menlo Park headquarters, where they had an opportunity to engage with technology most of us won’t see for years, includ- ing with the team leading Facebook’s internet-enabling Aguila drone program, and a hands-on test of some of the latest in virtual reality equipment. Building on a terrific opening day, aviation educators gathered for day two at Salesforce’s downtown headquarters to work with lead- ers from Cirrus, Google, Airlines for America and others to learn new ways to engage with students across avia- tion’s many opportunities. Participants even had a chance to speak with Brian Terwilliger, the Director and Producer Continued on page 53 51 Advisory Board Member Jennifer Urban tests the Oculus VR system
