Brainerd High Institute of Aviation awarded a grant from TDOT Aviation Institute
Posted on 01/28/2019
Photo of  Brainerd aviation students watching a drone demonstration in the school’s gym.Brainerd High School has been awarded a $30,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Aeronautics Division. Brainerd High is home to the Institute of Aviation, a Future Ready Institute in Hamilton County Schools.

The Aviation Education and Outreach Program Selection Committee reviewed 21 applications and selected the Institute of Aviation at Brainerd to receive the grant.

The grant funds can use the funding for an Aviation Mechanics Tool Kit, UAS Drone Club membership, drone competitions, travel to competitions, and field trips to Middle Tennessee State University and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology.

The Institute of Aviation at Brainerd incorporates the career-technical education programs of study for aviation flight as well as aviation maintenance and light repair. The aviation curriculum includes learning the principles of flight, using a flight simulator and drones, aviation engine operation and repair, general maintenance, and aviation engine problem-solving. Students in the program may have an interest in becoming a pilot, aviation mechanic, or one of the many other careers available in aviation.

The TDOT grant will begin January 15, 2019, and will end January 14, 2020. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Aeronautics Division’s Aviation Outreach and Education program aims to promote, prioritize, and fund aviation outreach and education programs in Tennessee.

For more information on the program or the grant, go to https://www.tn.gov/tdot/aeronautics or contact the Aviation Outreach and Education Program Coordinator, Evan Lester, at [email protected].

Applications for attending a Future Ready Institute in Hamilton County Schools next school year will open on Friday, February 1. There will be an information night featuring all Future Ready Institutes at the downtown Unum location at 500 Walnut Street on Tuesday, February 19 from 5 to 7 pm.