Young Eagles Workshop Programs
JIM WORKMAN, EAA 74652
With the help of EAA Chapter 425,
Young Eagles in the Zanesville,
Ohio, area are discovering flying and
realizing access to aviation is possible
for them. The chapter has developed
workshop programs to go hand-in-hand with Young Eagles flights and
enhance the typical Young Eagles
experience. Beginning with the
2009-2010 school year, the chapter
partnered with the Zanesville City
School System to recruit Young Eagles.
It has also partnered with Bedrock Aero
for the workshop experiences, setting
up three workshop stations for basic
riveting, fabric re-covering of a control
surface, and wood rib building.
During the workshops a supervisor/
guide greeted the Young Eagles at each
station and explained the work at
that station and the part it played in
constructing the aircraft. Rib building
was performed on an actual jig used
in the construction of a Meyers OTW
wing recently constructed in the shop.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 81.
Young Eagles workshop instructor Dave
Coulson assists a Young Eagle at a rib-building station.
PARTNERING WITH A LOCAL
SCHOOL DISTRICT
An important element in getting the
message out and recruiting Young
Eagles for Chapter 425 was developing
a partnering relationship with
Zanesville City Schools that served the
mission of both organizations.
In achieving this, one of the
chapter members, Dave Coulson, EAA
583814 met with the superintendent
of Zanesville City Schools, Terry
Martin, to explain the Young Eagles
program. The superintendent was
impressed with the program and
arranged for representatives of
Chapter 425 to make a presentation
to the student body of each school
at a school assembly. Dave and two
other chapter members made the
presentations and distributed Young
Eagles literature to the students.
This generated interest among the
students and their families. As a result
the Young Eagles flights and workshop
program were eagerly attended
and became part of the community
conversation. As an example, EAA
and the Young Eagles program even
became a topic of discussion at the
weekly Thursday morning retired
teachers’ breakfasts. Partnering
with businesses and the local school
system has a multiplier effect in
promoting EAA, and it fits well within
the mission of all three organizations.
