AFA Awards Summer Grants to Civil Air Patrol Squadrons

ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Air Force Association today announced 20 grants promoting aerospace education for hundreds of students through Civil Air Patrol squadrons.

These AFA grants, each $250, are awarded four times each year, twice to units and twice to educators. AFA distributes these grants to squadrons for use in any Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) activity or materials that promote aerospace education.

"The Air Force Association advocates for education and training in these crucial subjects in order to develop the necessary skills needed for jobs in fields that support U.S. air power," said George Muellner, AFA Chairman of the Board. "The Civil Air Patrol programs continue to excel at engaging students through innovative programs that motivate them to pursue careers that will help sustain our nation's military defense structure."

"These 20 programs help develop the next generation of aerospace professionals who are vital to the future of our nation," said Craig McKinley, AFA President. "Students have the ability to learn more about the role of aviation and space in America's future, and they can use these programs to increase their technical knowledge to understand aerospace issues."

Squadrons receiving AFA Grants for the Summer of 2013 are as follows:

• Brown County Senior Squadron, Green Bay, Wis., Oskosh EAA Museum and Aerospace Program
• Cape Cod Composite Squadron, Otis ANGB, Mass., Search & Rescue Flight Simulation Cockpit Program
• Cullman Composite Squadron, Gardendale, Ala., Hovercraft Project for School Outreach Programs
• Group I- FL Wing, Pensacola, Fla., Advanced Rocketry and Video Trajectory Tracking Program
• Harrison Cadet Squadron, Harrison, Ohio, Senior Member Rocketry Mentoring Program
• Highlanders Composite Squadron, Berwick, Maine, Flight Simulator Cockpit & Projector Program
• Howard Williams Composite Squadron, Salina, Kan., 3Rs Program: Remote Control, Robotics, & Rocketry
• Jack Schofield Middle School Cadet Squadron, Las Vegas, Nev., Two-stage Rocketry Program
• Lt Col Frank Pocher Minuteman Squadron, Lowell, Mass., Central MA Space Modeling Society Partnership
• Lt Col Keehn Composite Squadron-Flint, Columbiaville, Miss., 3-D Printing & Computer-Aided Design Program
• Madison Composite Squadron & WI Wing SW Group, Madison, Wis., Geotracking Aerial Photography Program
• McGhee Tyson Composite Squadron, Alcoa, Tenn., Flight Simulator Computer Project
• Omaha Composite Squadron, Omaha, Neb., Flight Simulator Computer Lab School Outreach Project
• Palm Springs Composite Squadron, Rancho Mirage, Calif., Rocketry Organization of CA Partnership Program
• Phantom Composite Squadron, Provo, Utah, ACE School Community Outreach Project
• Redstone Composite Squadron, Madison, Ala., Academy of Model Aeronautics R/C Airplane Partnership Program
• TI-CO Composite Squadron, Port Saint John, Fla., Supersonic Rocketry Program
• Valkyrie Cadet Squadron, Denver, Colo., Large Rocket, Telemetry & Video Data Performance Program
• Wesley Chapel Cadet Squadron, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Fantasy of Flight Aviation Museum & Veterans Day Program
• Worcester Cadet Squadron, Worcester, Mass., Boston Museum of Science R/C Airplane & Solar Powered Vehicles Program

For more information on AFA awards, please contact Lynette Cross at [email protected] or (703) 247-5800 ext 4807.

The Air Force Association is a non-profit, independent, professional military and aerospace education association. Our mission is to promote a dominant United States Air Force and a strong national defense, and to honor Airmen and our Air Force Heritage. To accomplish this, we:

• EDUCATE the public on the critical need for unmatched aerospace power and a technically superior workforce to ensure U.S. national security.
• ADVOCATE for aerospace power and STEM education.
• SUPPORT the Total Air Force family and promote aerospace education.

AFA has 200 chapters nationally and internationally representing more than 105,000 members. Visit AFA at www.AFA.org.

SOURCE Air Force Association