An immersive after-school program in Michigan is helping a group of fourth and fifth graders learn to fly planes.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It’s not uncommon for fourth and fifth graders to have a fear of heights. But an after school program at Coit Creative Arts Academy in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is helping some students concur that fear and teaching them valuable skills.
As WZZM reports, the students in the program have spent the last several weeks doing something most adults never learn to do: Fly airplanes.
With the help of West Michigan Flight Academy instructor Keith Rickle, a former airline pilot, the students have spent several months in the classroom learning ground operations and in-flight procedures, using relatable lessons and games.
All of that preparation was to help students actually take flight in a propeller plane.
“So it will actually be my first time ever being on a plane, so it’s probably going to be scary, but also like really, really exciting,” said Kaiyah, a student at Coit.
“I used to have a fear of heights, but this class kind of helped me overcome that a little bit, so I’m just really excited to go,” said Charlie, another student.
Rickle said the impact of the program goes well beyond aviation. It teaches students valuable communication and navigation skills, and is even planting something deeper for their future.
“Even if it’s not an aviation career, they find that, oh, there’s things out there that I can do that I absolutely love to do,” said Rickle. “I wake up every day and I love my 9-5, so that’s really the goal here is maybe not everybody going to [be an] airline pilot, but to learn the skill that, ‘Hey, picking a career is a wonderful thing that will help set me up for the rest of my life.'”
The partnership between Coit Creative Arts Academy and West Michigan Flight Academy is one of several immersive after-school programs offered at the school.
