How do I Apply for a STEM Flight?
STEP 1: Watch the video above to get an idea of what STEM Flights is all about.
STEP 2: Read our FAQ for Students below.
STEP 3: Review the Available STEM Missions, and select the one you're most interested in.
STEP 4: Ask a trusted adult for a letter of recommendation.
STEP 5: Apply here online
STEP 6: Someone from STEM Flights will reach out to you in the coming weeks to confirm your participation in the program
FAQ for Students
Q. What is the cost for a STEM Flight?
A. The STEM Flight experience is FREE for students.
Q. How old do I have to be to apply for a STEM Flight?
A. Students must be in middle or high school in order to submit an application for a STEM Flight. Applications are accepted from students attending school in any setting; including but not limited to public, private, and homeschool educational establishments.
Q. Why does my parent or guardian have to fill out the application?
A. When providing services to minors (youth under the age of 18), parents or legal guardians must give permission for students to receive a flight experience by signing a waiver along with the application. We also want your parent or guardian to support your desire to learn more about STEM and aviation careers.
Q: How long will it take to receive a STEM Flight after my application has been accepted and what is the communication process?
A: After your application has been approved, your parent or legal guardian who filled out the application will receive an email notification. At that point, our team will begin working to pair you with a pilot mentor in your area. Once you are paired with a pilot mentor, another email will go out to your parent/guardian in order to schedule the flight. There is no set time frame as to how long of a wait it will be before you receive a STEM Flight. Many factors are considered before scheduling your flight; i.e. pilot availability, geographical location of pilot mentors, number of students in the queue before you, etc. Rest assured, our team continuously works to get you paired with a pilot as soon as possible.
Q: What is a STEM Flights Mission?
A: We require each student to complete ONE learning mission of choice before their flight experience. There are four STEM Flights missions to choose from. All of them include a short online curriculum that introduces students to STEM topics found in the world of aviation. The missions are broken into middle and high school levels and allow for the students to explore a topic, develop questions for their pilot mentor, and expand their learning before taking flight in the cockpit! Students can reach out to stemedu@stemflights.org with any curriculum related questions.
Q. Why do I need to submit a Letter of Recommendation with my application and what should it include?
A. Submitting a letter of recommendation gives our staff and Pilot Mentors a good snapshot of your student experiences, flight interest, and general STEM background. This can be written by a parent, guardian, coach, counselor, teacher, or any trusted adult in your life who knows you. The letter should illustrate why the applying student is deserving of a STEM Flight experience and interested in our program. It should also illustrate what it could mean to the students’ future education and career choices if they were to receive a STEM Flight.
Q. How can I find out if STEM Flights is in my area?
A. We have Pilot Mentors who provide flights all over the United States and we are growing every day! You can reach out to info@stemflights.org to inquire about your specific geographic location to see if we have pilot mentors nearby.
Q. How much time does a STEM Flight take?
A. Every student and every flight experience with our program is different. Below is an estimated time breakdown to guide you through as a rough estimate, but time varies depending on the student and the pilot mentor.
Online Application: 10 minutes
Call with Pilot Mentor: 10 - 20 minutes
Self study of online STEM Curriculum: Self-paced
Airport Meeting and Flight Experience: 2 hours (45-60 minutes of flight time)
Follow up Survey: 5 minutes
Resource exploration: Self-paced
Q. What happens after a STEM Flight?
A. We will send you a follow up survey that is short and takes about 10 minutes to complete. You will also be provided with online resources through our STEM Flight Following that includes scholarship databases, aviation resources, and STEM career information. If you have any questions about ‘What’s Next?’ in your aviation journey and aren’t sure where to begin, please reach out to stemedu@stemflights.org