Colorado Skies Academy: An Aviation- and Aerospace-Focused STEAM Middle School

“Attracting, retaining, and advancing women in aviation is critical to the U.S. aviation industry’s safety, sustainability, profitability, and ability to innovate.” – Breaking Barriers for Women in Aviation

One of the recommendations from the 2022 Women in Aviation Advisory Board is for government and industry to support the development and implementation of aviation-focused curricula and career education for in-school and out-of-school programs.

I’d like to introduce you to Colorado Skies Academy (CSA), a one-of-a-kind tuition-free charter STEAM middle school focused on aviation and aerospace, based on Englewood, Colorado.

CSA is located on the Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight Campus on Centennial Airport and is part of the highly-acclaimed Cherry Creek School District.

Project Based Learning (PBL) is at the core of CSA.  Through the PBL method, learners tackle deeply engaging projects about real-world issues that require critical thought, inquiry and syntheses that culminate in regular Presentations of Learning (POLs) to their peers, facilitators, community members, parents and industry.

Members of the CSA Blue Sky to Black Student Aerospace Launch Team recently watched their experiment “The Effects of Microgravity on Activated Charcoal” be performed by astronauts on the International Space Station.

CSA was the first middle school in the United States to have a Drone Soccer team and continues to be one of only three middle schools to field a team.  They compete, and often win, against high school and college teams regularly.

The Mission of Colorado Skies Academy says it all:

Colorado Skies Academy will inspire learners to take flight academically and personally through relevant project based learning instruction. Using comprehensive STEAM and SEL programs, our young people will be prepared to pursue goals and succeed in future educational endeavors and careers. They will create meaningful aerospace connections and develop positive relationships to support their journey.

Colorado Skies Academy is now accepting enrollment applications for the 2023-2024 school year.

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