The charitable grants package includes $8 million for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and workforce development programs aimed at building a robust talent pipeline of civil aviation pilots and maintenance technicians. Boeing forecasts demand for 804,000 new civil aviation pilots and 769,000 new maintenance technicians to fly and maintain the world’s fleet over the next 20 years.
Boeing will also commit $800,000 to launch the first Newton Flight Academy in Turkey in 2020. This funding builds on the company’s previous $5 million investment and successful launch of Newton Europe in Spain and Poland in 2019. The Newton Flight Academy teaches STEM skills to secondary school students through hands-on application of the math and physics of flight. Grant dollars will help fund a permanent, experiential classroom that includes three full-motion Boeing flight simulators.
“At Boeing, we’re committed helping students succeed. We want students to know that their future belongs to them—it has no boundaries,” said Cheri Carter, vice president of Boeing Global Engagement. “We believe our success as innovators depends on everyone coming together to inspire the next generation to share in our aerospace advancements. That’s why we’re investing more than 50 percent of our philanthropic dollars to fund high-impact education programs in the U.S. and abroad.”
Also included in the package is a previously announced $10 million investment for veterans’ recovery and rehabilitation programs and workforce transition services.
Anchored by local and regional employee engagement activities, Boeing corporate giving is focused on increasing access to globally competitive STEM learning in underserved and underrepresented communities, improving technical workforce skills and supporting military families and veterans. Boeing investments also address unique local challenges critical to communities where the company operates.
A full list of Boeing’s grant partners can be found here.