REMEMBER WHEN you were a little kid and someone asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up? If you didn't answer "fireman," "policeman" or "doctor," you probably said "pilot."

That childlike curiosity about flight, combined with the growing availability of air travel, sparks an interest in the aviation field for many people - particularly in Washington state, where aerospace constitutes our largest export. So it's not surprising that the state where Boeing began has given rise to one of the first high schools dedicated to encouraging teens to study aviation.

Housed in a temporary site near Boeing Field, Seattle's Aviation High School kicked off its third year of operation in September. A new class of 104 freshmen joined 93 returning sophomores and 83 juniors who have been with the school since it opened its doors in 2004.  

The concept of a theme-based high school, even one that focuses specifically on aviation, isn't entirely novel. Long Island City, N.Y., has had an aviation-focused technical high school for years. But the curriculum and the ultimate mission of the Seattle high school go far beyond the vocational skills training that predecessors have emphasized. Aviation High merges strong academics with real-world experiences in aviation to develop a college-bound crop of young adults who can shape the future of the industry.

Some students who flock to the school "are gifted in math and science," says the school's principal, Reba Gilman, "but certainly not all. What they share in common is a need and a desire to be in a focused learning environment, one that expects more of them, believes that they can achieve at high levels and provides high support for their learning. The aviation theme [is] just the 'hook.'"

"The environment is all about real world problem solving," says Doug Hill, whose son Sebastian is a 10th grader at Aviation High. Hill and his wife both volunteer at the school. Hill says it's worth it "just to have a son who, at 15, wants so much to go to school."

In addition to taking specialized classes such as History of Aircraft Design and Aviation Law & Order, AHS students, a diverse economic and ethnic population, are expected to exceed local and state graduation requirements by completing a minimum of three years of math, three years of science, four years of English and two years of foreign language (the school offers courses in Japanese and Spanish). Washington state requires only three years of English, two years of science and math, and no foreign language. "We developed a four-year plan which has college preparedness at the very center of it," Gilman says.  

Dennis Hamel, vice president for Seattle based Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air, says he was "thrilled" with the idea of the school from its inception, and worked with Gilman and her team from the beginning. Hamel says he knew there were schools in the country that had a similar aim or approach, but "there was nothing quite like what they were planning to do."

While the passion to be a pilot or engineer is often what draws kids to apply, Gilman points out that the aviation focus is not the only thing that sets the school apart. Aviation High builds its teaching model around project-based learning, where students can apply classroom concepts hands-on. One group of female students is planning to build its own small airplane, Gilman says. And many of the school's juniors are already laying plans for their "senior culminating project," which needs to solve a real problem or fulfill a genuine need.

"The net effect of this environment is not just two plus two equals four," says Peter Anderson, president and owner of Galvin Flying Services at Boeing Field, and the president of AHS's board of directors. "This is giving kids a real-world context of how the [academics] relate to aviation. It takes it out of rote memorization and gives it a real feel."

INDUSTRY MENTORS SET THE PACE
Like the school's board members, many AHS teachers have a background or interest in aviation. Aviation High's 15 staff members include an 11th grade history teacher who spent 25 years as an Army helicopter pilot. He also designed two of the aviation-related elective courses. And there's a science teacher who is working on getting his pilot's license.  

Aviation High also mines the rich professional resources of the surrounding community, soliciting mentors who have been commercial or recreational pilots, aerospace engineers, or other industry professionals. Anderson says he has strongly encouraged members of his 120-person staff to act as mentors to AHS students, and has offered lessons to them through his company. About 50 employees of Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air also offer time to the school, according to Hamel. AHS also has a long-standing partnership with the Museum of Flight, which is located a short distance from the school. In addition to providing students with a hands on feel for a career in aviation, mentors are often called upon to judge student work. "Oftentimes, [a student's] performance is assessed by those who actually might perform the work in industry," Gilman says, such as "engineers assessing a wing design or heat shield project in physical science."

So far, Aviation High's students are coming through with flying colors. Last year, 89 percent of the school's sophomores scored at or above standard on the math WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) test, while 98 percent met or exceeded the standard for reading and 97 percent for writing. The school easily surpassed overall state averages - 51.2 percent for math, 82 percent for reading and almost 80 percent for writing.  

Although Aviation High School lacks the depth and breadth of a traditional high school's elective courses and music, drama and sports programs, the students have created their own extracurricular activities, including a chess club, a radio-controlled airplane club and a robotics club. "The students truly own the school," Gilman says.

About 62 percent of the student body comes from the school's local host district, Highline. The rest travel from all over Puget Sound to attend the school, coming by car, bus and ferry.  

For the most part, Aviation High School's experiment in education has been positive for students, staff and supporters. The hope is that the school will be a resource for Seattle's important but volatile aerospace industry by supplying skilled and passionate employees and, over the long term, providing a model for schooling that prepares young people more thoroughly for careers in the rapidly changing market.

"Aviation has become so commonplace," Anderson says, "that the idea of becoming a pilot is not looked upon with the same prestige and significance it once was." He hopes Aviation High will inspire more young people not only to pursue careers in aviation, but also to strive to create their own businesses and set the pace for the industry as commercial space travel opens new opportunities. "It's very important to get new entries into the aviation pipeline," he adds. "We need to ensure the growth of the industry."

Aerospace jobs grew last year after experiencing a downturn in the early 2000s. Earlier this year, Conway-Pedersen Economics Inc., publisher of The Puget Sound Economic Forecaster, predicted that aerospace jobs will grow from 70,500 at the end of this year to 76,500 at the end of 2007.  As demand moves from machinist laborers to include other skilled technicians, who will fill those jobs? Aviation High and its proteges may be the answer.