Pryor Middle School Chosen to Field Test Bessie Coleman After School Aviation Program

Posted Date: 01/22/2024

The Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics Executive Director, Grayson Ardies, and Senator Adam Pugh, the Chair of the 59th Legislative AERO Caucus and Senate Education Committee, announced a partnership with the Bessie Coleman Aviation All-Stars Program, and Gigi Coleman Brooms.

At its December 2023 meeting, the Commission approved a partnership with the Bessie Coleman Aviation All-Star Program to implement an after-school aviation program for 6th and 7th-grade students enrolled in the Weatherford Public Schools, Pryor Public Schools, and Springdale Elementary of the Tulsa Public Schools. The first of its kind in Oklahoma, students enrolled in the aeronautical program will learn about aerospace careers and will participate in hands-on aviation projects that have been designed to create interest in aerospace and aeronautics while celebrating the heritage of Bessie Coleman.

During the first week, students will be introduced digitally to Gigi Coleman, Bessie Coleman’s great-niece, an actor-historian of the Bessie Coleman aviation story, where she will reenact her great aunt’s early life telling the story of how she became America’s first black, female pilot in 1921. During the following weeks, students will meet pilot professionals, build airplanes, interact with military aviation professionals, and learn about commercial flight, space travel, advanced air mobility, and drone operations. During the after-school program, Oklahoma educators will follow a curriculum developed by the Bessie Coleman Aviation All-Star Program and the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics.