Lt Col John H. Stark, CAP

Aerospace Education




 No Photo AvailableThank you for volunteering to help your unit be actively involved in Civil Air Patrol's aerospace education mission.  No special credentials are required to perform the Aerospace Education Officer's (AEO) duties.  You do not have to be a "rocket scientist" to do an outstanding job.  All you truly need is an interest in the wonders of aerospace and the desire to promote this subject among your fellow CAP members as well as your community.  The best resource for Aerospace Education Officers is CAP Pamphlet 15, Aerospace Education Officers' Handbook.  CAP Pamphlet 15 will help you do the aerospace education job.  It answers many of the "who, what, when, where and how" questions.  Your challenge will be to provide the energy and commitment to nurture "your" aerospace education program and create the right learning environment. CAP Pamphlet 15 offers ideas on program development.  Pick the ones that work for you and start building your program.

YOUR POSITION...YOUR PERFORMANCE... YOUR PROGRAM

POSITION: Aerospace Education Officers (AEOs) serve at all organizational levels from squadron through region. When you accept assignment as AEO on the commander's staff, you accept responsibility for learning, knowing and helping do aerospace education in your unit. The aerospace education program is not passive. It is active. AEOs provide the stimulus.

At the squadron level you stand alone serving cadets or serving seniors. You must learn the program and make it work. The squadron commander and fellow squadron members are counting on you. The members, cadets or seniors, respond to your leadership and do the aerospace achievements, activities, or events and earn the awards. The community gets as much aerospace education outreach as your activity and leadership produces.

At the group, wing or region level you serve on an aerospace education staff team. Your commander looks to you for information concerning requirements and performance in the aerospace education program. The commander may seek advice and counsel concerning aerospace education program goals and standards for the unit. Absolute candor in what you report and recommend is the only way a commander can support you and aerospace education in the unit. You may be asked to help subordinate units or higher headquarters. Success requires your best ideas and highest energy levels. Outreach into the community involves finding allies and networking with them.

PERFORMANCE: Aerospace Education Officers have a requirement to learn and act.

Learn. You must learn the regulations, the reports, the procedures and the processes required to do the job. You must document the aerospace education program. You must learn to inspire and instruct others as you instill aerospace knowledge. You must learn patience as you build an enduring aerospace education program.

Act. You must lead by doing. Your interest, activity and enthusiasm with cadets, seniors, and the public are essential in making the aerospace education program work. Your example should cause CAP members and the public to be willing to act to support you and the aerospace education program you are promoting.

PROGRAM: An Aerospace Education program has goals, plans and action to meet the goals and a review process.

Who makes the goals? Many CAP aerospace education goals are defined in CAP regulations and manuals. You and other CAP members or people outside of CAP may also propose aerospace education goals. These goals are considered and approved by the commander for implementation. You then publicize the unit's aerospace education goals.

Who develops the plans to achieve the goals? You do. You may need help developing the plans to reach the goals because you lack expertise or experience. Find and enlist the help you need from within your unit or community. Developing plans and processes to achieve your goals in aerospace education is essential to success. But, remember that you need the commander's approval to start.

Who does the action? Often there are two categories of action required. One category consists of leadership, guidance, training, support, evaluation, and reporting. The AEO normally performs these tasks. You are in full control of this action. The CAP members or the external groups who participate in the aerospace education program carry out the other category of action. For these actions you may or may not have control depending on your leadership ability. Your leadership will make the difference in whether or not they want to act.

Who evaluates? You do. It is your program. You inform the commander of the results of the evaluation. And consider what happens next. Do you continue, change or stop? That is the essence of any aerospace education program. Remember, as the Aerospace Education Officer you should always be at the center of the program. The commander needs to be your strongest ally. And lastly, the program works when you can get people to act in support of the goals.

Regs and Pamphlets

Aerospace Education Newsletter Archive:
Aerospace Education Newsletter for January-February 2005

Aerospace Education Newsletter for November-December 2004

Aerospace Education Newsletter for September-October 2004

Aerospace Education Newsletter for July-August 2004

Aerospace Education Newsletter for May-June 2004

Aerospace Education Newsletter for Mar-Apr 2004

Aerospace Education Newsletter for Jan-Feb 2004


National Aerospace Education Awards

The month of December is the time to submit your nominations for the National Aerospace Education Mission Awards. Nominations for these prestigious awards can be made by any Civil Air Patrol Member. Nomination criteria, nomination procedures, nomination forms and nominations package requirements are outlined in Civil Air Patrol Pamphlet 15, Aerospace Education Officers’ Handbook and CAP Regulation 280-2 Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education Mission.

AEROSPACE EDUCATION AWARDS
1. Frank G. Brewer- Civil Air Patrol Memorial Aerospace Awards An annual recognition given at both region and national levels to recognize individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of youth in aerospace activities. Nomination forms and nomination procedures are found in CAPP 15, pages 40-43.

Award Categories
Category I-CAP Cadet: Nominee must have earned the Billy Mitchell Award and must be a current Civil Air Patrol Member. (See CAPP 15 pages 42 & 43 for nomination criteria.)
Category II-CAP Senior Member: Nominee must have earned the Yeager Award and must be a current CAP Member. (See CAPP 15 pages 42 & 43 for nomination criteria.)
Category III-Individual: Nominees may include educators, state aviation officials, fixed base operators, superintendents of public instruction, members of the armed forces, members of congress who have made noteworthy aerospace significant to the for period of up to ten years. (See CAPP 15 pages 42& 43 for nomination criteria.)
Category IV-Organization: Nominees can be any organization envolued in aerospace activities for a period of up to ten years. (See CAPP 15 pages 42 & 43 for nomination criteria.)
2. The A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year Award.
This is a world class annual award to recognize classroom teachers for outstanding accomplishments in aerospace education. The award consists of: 1) a $1000 cash stipend; 2) membership in National Congress Crown Circle for Aerospace Education Leadership; and 3) free room and registration at all future National Congress on Aviation and Space Education. (See CAPP 15 pages 47-50 for nomination package criteria.)

3. Crown Circle for Aerospace Education Leadership.
This award recognizes demonstrated performance of outstanding leadership in Aerospace education, it is one of the highest awards in aerospace education world-wide. (See CAPP 15, pages 44- 46 for nomination package criteria.)

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