The Air Force Association has long supported the Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the United States Air Force. The missions of both organizations include the need to educate the general public about the importance of aerospace, both now and in the future. Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives are paramount in fulfilling this mission, and both the AFA and CAP provide a multitude of K-12 STEM opportunities for young people. CAP and AFA agree: producing ethical and technologically-prepared future citizens is of prime importance in maintaining global competitiveness and national security. Both organizations also agree that early educational intervention is key to future goal setting for our youth.

To address America's need to promote character development and STEM career options at an early age, CAP has developed an aerospace-themed program that excites and engages young people in preparing for the future. AFA chapters can use this program as an avenue to provide STEM initiatives for their community youth in grades K-6.

The Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) Program was designed to integrate the aerospace theme in a cross-curricular manner in classrooms across America and includes three basic elements that address major issues for the schools of our nation: academics to meet future STEM workforce demands; character education to combat negative societal forces and prepare productive/ethical/responsible citizens; and physical fitness training to create citizens living a healthy and drug-free lifestyle.

The program contents include grade-level specific curricula which were designed by educators and incorporate fun, inquiry-based activities in almost 150 lesson plans that meet national academic standards and address national STEM initiatives. The lessons are designed to supplement and enrich the core curriculum and can be easily and inexpensively taught within a 45-minute classroom block of time. ACE teachers are encouraged to invite other school staff members, parents, and community volunteers to teach individual lessons to the students. This brings a variety of positive role models into the classroom from which students can learn important life skills. AFA chapter volunteers would be excellent positive role models for the young people!

Teachers participating in the CAP ACE Program receive a free basic ACE Program curriculum set: grade-level specific 21-lesson curriculum guide; class set of educational materials aligned with one or more of the lessons; and top-quality plaque and student certificates for program completion.

ACE teachers are expected to teach at least 12 of the 21 lessons in the grade-level curriculum guide any time during the school year. In return, the $35 CAP teacher membership fee is waived for ACE teachers. With the free membership, the teachers receive over 20 additional STEM materials. Moreover, teachers receive a free orientation flight over their school and community in a CAP aircraft.

Teachers may wish to receive the enhanced ACE Program t-shirt component for their class. If the local AFA chapter would like to sponsor one or more classes for the enhanced program, each shirt is imprinted with the words “Supported by the Air Force Association,” and the cost is only $3 per student. If an AFA chapter elects to sponsor one or more classes for the enhanced program, the chapter could coordinate a nice ACE Program award and certificate presentation to the sponsored class(es) at an appropriate school or chapter function.

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The Air Force Association (AFA) is an independent, nonprofit IRS 501(c)(3) organization. This newsletter is published monthly via e-mail. Submissions or comments should be sent to AENewsletter@afa.org.

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