Governance
On a typical day, students are provided with traditional coursework in English, math, history and science, as well as progressive flight training. These students transition from a traditional desk to a cockpit in a training simulator where aviation mentors demonstrate flight controls and aeronautical concepts to prepare these students for a potential move into a plane for flight lessons. The shift from a traditional classroom to a flight simulator provides students with a true boost of purpose and motivation. In the coming year, the program will expand to include aviation mechanics, where students will learn how to build and repair aircrafts. This rewarding training combines technical expertise, problem-solving challenges and the satisfaction of contributing to aviation safety. Students who graduate with these skills will have the opportunity to continue this pathway at a college or within the aviation industry, which offers job opportunities around the world.
While the program’s theme is aviation, it is not all about making pilots and airplane mechanics. The program offers a small, structured environment where students learn skills such as goal setting and perseverance, and gain something that’s all too often elusive for struggling students, which is motivation.
With each milestone, students find out more about themselves and what they can achieve with practice and commitment. Students become accountable to themselves and their teammates, as they are challenged to participate in an endeavor that can have a measurable impact on their future. Ultimately, this program helps students develop prosocial behaviors and obtain important life skills, all through a focus on aviation.
BHA originated from an after-school program in Salinas called Every Kid Can Fly, which was started in 2014 by air show pilot and Salinas native Sean Tucker, an aerobatic specialist, who is best known for his airshow performances in the Oracle Challenger. Tucker named the program and his nonprofit after his mentor and aviation great, R. A. “Bob” Hoover, who valued education, humility, dignity and optimism. Through this nonprofit, Tucker offered local students, particularly those struggling with trauma or other hardships, the thrill of flight and a unique career path. Over the years, he has seen many success stories. “They have courage. They believe they have a future. They have hope,” said Tucker. “They have joy, sometimes for the first time in their life.”
With the success of BHA, MCOE stepped in to help it expand. The result is the Bob Hoover Academy at MCOE, an accredited alternative high school program that offers the full range of high school courses and aviation curriculum produced by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).
MCOE did not hesitate to jump at the opportunity to partner with the BHA nonprofit to create this unique pathway for students, understanding that there are many facets to launching a flight program, such as legal and regulatory requirements, proper facilities and equipment, qualified flight instructors, and skilled career technical education teachers.
“This unique partnership and program engages students to focus on academic skills while gaining STEM-based knowledge and hands-on experience in the field of aeronautics,” said MCOE Board President Mary Claypool. “The inspiration students derive from the program, which can lead to flight lessons and solo flying, is life changing.”
Most importantly, the collaborative efforts proved to be the solid backbone for this program. BHA funds the ground school, flight instructors and a full-time operations director that helps to organize the volunteers, coordinate field trips and provide essential resources to students. The program’s facilities, academic instructors and counselors are funded through MCOE. This partnership is a great example of the public and private sectors coming together to provide opportunities for students who need them the most.
“Launching a flight school is an incredibly fulfilling and exciting endeavor,” said Monterey County Superintendent Deneen Guss. “It requires careful planning, dedication, and a commitment to providing structured academic instruction and awe-inspiring flight training.”
Six years from its inception, with a classroom and facilities expansion, Bob Hoover Academy at MCOE provides a fantastic opportunity for up to 40 high school students to explore aviation and develop their skills. The results are threefold — teaching students to work on airplanes, learning to fly, and most importantly, enabling students to earn a high school diploma.
“This program is a bold and brave approach to inspiring youth to undertake what they never imagined they could do,” said Claypool. “Through active collaboration, community support and a strong desire to succeed, this program is growing and expanding, and is filled with student success stories.”