(Monaca, Pa)  Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) has entered a nationwide memorandum of understanding with AOPA Foundation, Inc. to grant up to 10 credits to students who complete the 9th, 10th, and 11th grade AOPA Foundation High School Aviation STEM Curriculum. The agreement allows high school students to jumpstart their college and professional careers within aviation.

“Not unlike our own Aviation High School Academy, the AOPA Foundation High School Aviation STEM program has experienced explosive student growth over the last several years. CCBC is excited to enter into this agreement to advance and support the Foundation’s goal of unlocking pathways to aviation careers for teens,” said Dr. John Higgs, dean of the James M. Johnson School of Aviation Sciences.

“As a result, we are ensuring that high school students can economically leverage CCBC’s expertise in aviation education and accelerate towards successful careers as pilots, air traffic controllers, or other industry professionals.”

Students must earn a B or better in AOPA Foundation Curriculum classes and matriculate to CCBC the semester after graduation to earn these credits. In addition, piloting students must provide documentation that they passed the FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Exam.

Students will earn credit for AVIP120-Foundations and Development of Aviation for the 9th grade course and credit for AVIP160- Private Pilot Flight Theory and AVIC160-Flight Theory Fundamentals 1 for the 10th and 11th grade courses.

“The AOPA Foundation is thrilled to have signed our first national agreement with CCBC. The agreement opens doors for students from more than 1,400 high schools nationwide to matriculate to CCBC or its satellite locations to become air traffic controllers or professional pilots.

The AOPA Foundation and CCBC share the vision of keeping the skies free and available to anyone who dreams of a career in
aviation and aerospace, and this relationship is an example of how to turn that vision into reality,” stated Dan Justman, Vice-President, You Can Fly, a STEM.org Accredited Educational Program.

CCBC continues to be a premier leader in aviation education, with a graduate in every tower in the U.S. and in the cockpit of every major airline.