Aerospace Experiences (AE2024) is an umbrella term for an aerospace and space experiential learning program for high school students in the National Capital Region. This pilot program is designed to engage students, teachers, school boards, aerospace companies, and organizations and test the concept to expand regionally and nationally over the coming years.
Program aims include raising awareness of the sector among students, their families, and the public; initiating students to aerospace and informing them about job/career opportunities in the industry and the pathways to reach them; and building a scalable engagement platform to support progressive, experiential STEAM learning in aviation, mobility, and space.
Organizers
The AE2024 program is being organized and staged by three organizations:
- The Canada Aviation and Space Museum (CASM) is this country’s premiere aviation and space museum. Located in Ottawa, it is recognized as one of the top five institutions of its type in the world. Its extensive collection features seminal aircraft from the past 100 years, an exhibit dedicated to Canada’s space effort—including the Canadarm—a living digital simulation lab, and much more.
- The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) is the largest in Eastern Ontario, serving students in a 2,760 square kilometer area. It is Ontario’s seventh-largest board by school population, welcoming approximately 77,000 students. OCDSB students are based out of 146 schools – 114 elementary schools, including two particular education sites, 25 secondary schools, an Adult High School, two virtual schools, and five secondary alternate sites.
- The Centre for Advanced Training in Aerospace, Mobility and Space (CARTAMS) is a network of national and regional organizations focused on driving innovation, education and training in Canada’s aerospace, mobility, and space (AMS) sector through data creation, visualization, and application. Its 25+ partners represent sector leaders, including CAE, the National Research Council, the Canadian Space Agency, Ingenium, the Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace, educational institutions, and several small to medium enterprises (SMEs).
Algonquin College
The college is a founding member of CARTAMS and is currently the official partner of the AE2024 edition. We provide different support in marketing, communications, and employment services. This is a great opportunity for the college to promote programs and enrollments to students from the OCDSB, and keep building our relations with public and private organizations like the Canadian Space Agency and CAE Canada.
Deliverables/Outcomes:
Design and develop a dedicated website for the Canada Aviation and Space Museum (CASM)’s Centre for Advanced Training in Aerospace, Mobility and Space (CARTAMS) page. The website would highlight key elements of the Aerospace Experiences (AE2024) project in May 2024.