Educators in the Sky Program Brings Aviation into the Classroom Monday, June 23, 2025
The superintendent of the Indiana School District, Robert Heinrich, sits inside one of the Educators in the Sky training planes after the graduation ceremony.
“Dr. Mulvihill’s love for aviation is evident in his teaching approach. His teaching style is very immersive and hands-on. This approach pushed me beyond my comfort zone and gave me the motivation to try new things and be confident in my abilities as an aviator.”
After completing the Educators in the Sky program last year, Dr. Jason Rummel and Alissa McNulty returned to their K-12 schools full of inspiration to bring aviation into the classroom.
The program was designed by Dr. Patrick Mulvihill, associate professor of business and director of Point Park’s aviation management degree, which prepares college students for a wide range of aviation careers, including professional pilot pathways as well as non-flying roles in air traffic control, airport operations and aviation management.
Students who choose a career in aviation have likely been exposed to the field while still in middle or high school. This is where Educators in the Sky comes into play.
"Through Educators in the Sky, it's my vision to help educators enrich their ability to deliver STEAM education within their respective school districts through this immersive experience, as well as develop connections to career pathways within the aviation industry," Mulvihill said.
Hands-on flight training
Mulvihill, a certified flight instructor, taught the course, which included both ground and flight lessons. The training was conducted at Jimmy Stewart Airport in Indiana, Pennsylvania. Recently, a new FAA-approved flight simulator was added to the airport for the Educators in the Sky program.
“I expected to be a spectator at first, but my hands were on the controls for every minute of the program,” Rummel, a music teacher in the Indiana Area School District, said. “I learned how to taxi, take off, and land the aircraft as well as a number of in-flight maneuvers.”
McNulty, a 4th & 5th-grade mathematics and science teacher at River Valley School District, shared the same experience: “From the first lesson, we were fully immersed in the piloting experience. Hands on the yoke, making radio communication calls, completing maneuvers — everything!”
“Dr. Mulvihill’s love for aviation is evident in his teaching approach,” McNulty said. “His teaching style is very immersive and hands-on. This approach pushed me beyond my comfort zone and gave me the motivation to try new things and be confident in my abilities as an aviator.”
Connecting flight training with STEAM
After completing the course, both McNulty and Rummel took their newfound knowledge back to their classrooms.
"Jason and Alissa not only immersed themselves in the Educators in the Sky program, they've returned to their respective school districts and very quickly applied what they learned directly into their classrooms," Mulvihill said.
McNulty has incorporated what she’s learned into her STEAM courses. “This year in science, we have talked about weather fronts and looked at weather reports from the Jimmy Stewart Airport to make weather predictions," she said. "We have discussed cloud types and what type of weather is associated with them. In math, we have studied maps and learned to read longitude and latitude, as well as completed flight plans and calculated the fuel needed to complete a flight.”
Rummel has formed a Junior High Aviation Club in his district. He’s brought in guest speakers and has had classroom experiences in types of aircraft, principles of flight and military aviation options. They’ve visited the Jimmy Stewart airport twice, as well as an aircraft maintenance company to see how airplanes are inspected and serviced.
Most recently, through Youth in Aviation, Rummel's school received a grant to purchase Gleim Aviation flight simulator to allow the students to complete flight training.
“There’s so much intentionality about everything you do for the sake of safety, and you have to have STEAM knowledge to support that, or it doesn’t make sense," Rummel said. "For students who are gifted or interested in STEAM areas, aviation is a massive opportunity.”
Preparing the next generation of aviators
"The fact that Point Park is promoting future aviators through the education of teachers in elementary, middle and high schools shows that they understand the hierarchy of future-driven schools," McNulty said. "This opportunity will allow me to help future aviators find their path and begin investigating their career options at an early age.”
Educators in the Sky is underwritten by the Rowland School of Business and offered in partnership with Youth in Aviation, . This year's cohort includes teachers from Penn Trafford, River Valley and Indiana Area.
Teachers who are interested in the Educators in the Sky program can inquire at