Textron partners with Boys & Girls Club to give teens career flight plan

PROVIDENCE – The Textron Charitable Trust this summer sent five city teens from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence to the Naval Flight Academy’s Ambition program in Pensacola, Fla., to support them in possible pursuit of STEM-related professions.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The program participation was made possible with a $10,000 grant from Textron.
Five students from the club also went last summer, said Karen Warfield, Textron’s community affairs manager. She handles philanthropy for Textron corporate. Textron also has provided a grant for the club’s workforce development program for the past three years.
“We chose the Boys and Girls Club of Providence because we already had a partnership with them and because we respect that organization and what they’re doing,” said Warfield.
“Textron is known around the world for its powerful aviation brands, such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker, so by providing these promising, talented teens with this opportunity, we are preparing them well for the high-demand and high-wage careers that they can enjoy in our company and elsewhere,” she added. “We are creating a talent pipeline for our state’s workforce.”
Sitting in a high-fidelity flight simulator and experiencing what goes into flying required the participants to use math concepts previously seen only in their textbooks, Warfield explained. They applied mathematical skills to calculate the precise amount of fuel their aircraft required for the mission. And in roles as air traffic controllers, they computed speed, time and distance problems and recommended heading and altitude changes, she said.
“We met with these kids [afterward], and they said they came back with a far more disciplined approach to their schoolwork, a deeper understanding of higher mathematical concepts, leadership skills and a more defined career path for the future,” Warfield said.
The trust is also planning to bring some club students to visit the Textron hangar on Dec. 22, enabling them to discuss mechanical engineering and other facets of aircraft with pilots and mechanical technicians, Warfield added.
“This program is successful in that the students who attended now have future-oriented mind-sets since returning,” said Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence Executive Director Nicole Reilly. “Having someone to define career paths and opportunities is essential for young people.”

No posts to display