It was my hope to have this post out in time for you to use these lessons as part of your instruction about Labor Day… Better late than never, right?
I heard over and over again at Oshkosh AirVenture forums that there are all kinds of jobs available in the STEM fields. Aerospace careers are so much more than pilots and astronauts. I have compiled some resources that you will be able to use with your
Civil Air Patrol provides career lessons and resources for students in all grades.
students to help them see that the sky is the limit as far as great jobs that pay well. The professionals who shared at Oshkosh forums told us their jobs were a blast! They love their jobs! What more could anyone ask? It is definitely not too early to help you motivate your students to reach for the stars as they plan their careers.
Astronaut Frank Borman shared at our Teacher Day event that he got interested in aviation when as a 5-year-old he took a ride with a barnstormer. That set the course for a career as an astronaut in the Apollo program. As educators, we do not know what experience will have that kind of impact on the life of a child. The sky is the limit!
The resources below are not exhaustive. I hope you will find some that are useful and I hope you will pass the information on to other teachers in your school.
Civil Air Patrol is a great place to find all kinds of career information for your students. My favorite elementary activity is a coloring book called Fun in Flight that highlights over twenty important aerospace careers and helps students identify subject area skills needed for each of these careers. High School and Middle Schools teachers can have their students explore careers on webpages designed just for them.
The National Weather Service has career information about the following careers: Meteorology, Hydrology, Physical Science, Information Technology and Electronics Maintenance, Careers in Operational Support
The FAA has information about the following career fields: Air Traffic Control Specialists · Technical Operations Specialists · Aviation Safety Inspectors · Engineers · Contract Specialists and more!
You will find more information than you can ever use about aviation and aerospace careers at the Vocational Information Center. Want information about other careers? Just click on the Career Paths link. There are links to all sorts of resources on this site for teachers, guidance counselors and students on this site.
The U.S. Department of Labor has some great videos that older students might enjoy exploring as they consider what their future holds.
Why is important to help students explore career opportunities? Students who have a clear career goal will work toward that end. When students know there is a reason for their learning and hard work, they will be more excited about learning. Students who are career-minded will be less likely to be sucked into peer pressure and self-destructive activities.
Happy Labor Day!
Aerospace Education for Teachers 