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Transportation
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                     Propelling Possibility: Johnson High School’s Aerospace & Engineering

                     Magnet Program Soars Forward

                                                                                   Supporting  and  expanding  the  pathway,   “Aviation  opens up a world of exciting
                                                                                Jamie  Lindfors  offers  robotics  and  computer   jobs beyond just flying planes. It takes effort
                                                                                science, while Jeff Opichka teaches courses   and heart, but our classes and field trips help
                                                                                in construction, engineering,  and welding—  you find that passion within you.”
                                                                                critical skills that round out a student’s STEM   — Romeo Xiong and Touvue Thao,
                                                                                experience and lead directly to industry certifi-  Johnson Aerospace Students
                                                                                cations and employment opportunities.
                                                                                   Johnson’s  Aerospace  and  Engineering   Thanks to a forward-thinking team, pow-
                                                                                Magnet  program  is  more  than  just  a  collec-  erful partnerships, and cutting-edge resources,
                                                                                tion of classes—it’s a launchpad for students   Johnson High School is proving that  high
                                                                                to discover passions, build professional skills,   school programs can prepare students to thrive
                                                                                and access career pathways that  are  in high   in  tomorrow’s  industries—one  flight,  one
                                                                                demand.  With  Minnesota’s  aerospace  and   build, and one innovation at a time.
                                                                                advanced  manufacturing  sectors  growing
                                                                                rapidly, the program is helping to fill critical
                                                                                workforce needs across the  Twin Cities and   www.spps.org
                                                                                beyond.



                                                                                Up, Up and Away: Aeronautics Capstone

        Saint Paul Public Schools           engineering.                        Students take Discovery Flights
           “When you think you might not be able   With  critical  support  from  Work-based
        to do something, step out of your comfort zone   Learning Coordinator Mary  Voigt, students
        because you’ll be able to do it.”   also participate in unique experiential learning
               —Johnson Engineering student 2025  opportunities with key industry partners. These
                                            connections give students a real-world under-
           At Johnson Senior High School in Saint   standing of the many career paths available in
        Paul Public Schools, the sky is not the limit—  aerospace,  transportation,  and engineering—
        it’s  just  the  beginning.  Reinvigorated  by  a   and they begin building a professional network
        dynamic  team  of  educators  and  community   before they even graduate high school.
        partners, Johnson’s Aerospace and Engineering   The program starts early, thanks to Devon
        Magnet program is taking off, giving students   Vojtech, who teaches PLTW Engineering Essen-
        hands-on experience, real-world exposure, and   tials to all 9th-grade students.  This hands-on
        a pathway into high-demand careers across the   course introduces students to core engineering
        Twin Cities and beyond.             concepts and lays the foundation for deeper
           Leading  the  charge  is  Tom  Corcoran,  a   exploration in upper grades. Vojtech’s passion
        physics  and  math  teacher  whose  enthusiasm   for project-based learning helps students
        for flight and engineering is matched only by   connect  immediately  with  the  material—and
        his  commitment  to  student  success.  Nearing   gets them excited about what’s ahead.
        completion  of  his  private  pilot’s  license,
        Corcoran has brought fresh energy and vision   “In the beginning, I struggled, but now
        to  the  program,  helping  position  Johnson  as   as I see the circuits and work with them, I’m
        a  standout  hub for STEM education  in  the   understanding it more.”   Eden Prairie Schools              school year, they’d learned most of the Pilot’s
        region.                                                   —Ti Char Kue,    The late morning sun beat down on the   Handbook and all about charts, taxiways,
           “Imagine  the  thrill  of  not  just  seeing  a   PLTW Engineering Essentials Student  Flying Cloud tarmac as the Cessna 172 pro-  airspaces, weather and airport signage. Dr.
        plane  fly  overhead,  but  understanding  the   As students progress, they can pursue an   peller  cut  through the  hot  air.  Seatbelts  and   Michael  Nehring,  the  Aeronautics  Capstone
        physics  that  lift  it.  Imagine  knowing  all  of   array of specialized courses, including:  headsets  were  secured.  It  was  time  to  fly.   teacher, had introduced students to a variety of
        the different people working in a variety  of                           Inside the small plane were three EPHS stu-  career paths in aviation, from engineering to
        jobs that work together  to put that  plane  in   •  Introduction to Industrial Robotics  dents and one professional aviation instructor.   design to air traffic control to drone piloting.
        the air. That’s what we’re trying to do here at   •  Introduction to Computer Programming  This  wasn’t  the  flight  simulator  the  high   Students, he said, were so close to the emer-
        Johnson, we’re trying to introduce students to   •  PLTW Civil Engineering & Architecture  schoolers  had  gotten  accustomed  to  in  their   gence  of drone technology  that  they  could
        the wide world of aviation and understand the   •  PLTW Engineering Design & Develop-  Aeronautics  classroom  —  this  was  a  real   influence the future of what the next careers in
        principles  behind  flight.”  —Tom  Corcoran,   ment                    plane. The instructor would guide the takeoff   this field could look like. This was an exciting
        Aerospace Teacher                     •  PLTW Principles of Engineering  and then, one at a time, turn over controls to   time, and the Capstone he was teaching was an
           The revitalized program offers far more                              the students. It was time to see if being a pilot   opportunity for students to explore their inter-
        than just traditional  coursework. Johnson   •  PLTW Computer Integrated Manufactur-  was what these Eagles wanted to pursue.  ests in aeronautics while learning about all the
        boasts  state-of-the-art  flight  simulators  and   ing                    This “Discovery Flight” celebrated the   possibilities for pursuing it as a career.
        industry-standard  equipment,  allowing  stu-  •  PLTW Computer Science and Software   end of a three-course learning  path in aero-  Today was just that: a chance  to see if
        dents to learn on tools that mirror those used   Engineering            nautics at Eden Prairie High School that falls   being a pilot was the right fit for students. 12th
        by  professionals.  From  coding  and  robot-  •  Intro to Flight Simulators  within the Engineering, Technology & Manu-  grader Quang Luong seemed ready. “I could
        ics  to welding  and  drone operation, students   •  Drone Flight Training  facturing Pathway. Ten students had come to   have fun with anything that moves with four
        are developing technical  skills that translate   •  Advanced Flight Simulators  Flying Cloud Airport for a chance to feel what
        directly  to  modern  careers  in  aerospace  and                       it was truly like to fly. Over the course of the   Continued on Page 16
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