THIS MONTH: Program updates - News and Events - AE Safety Check - Curriculum - Important things to know about membership

It’s time once again to celebrate the exceptional work happening across our Aerospace Connections in Education classrooms! We’re pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the 2025-2026 National ACE Awards, including:

• ACE Teacher of the Year
• ACE Student of the Year
• ACE School of the Year

To access nomination forms, click here and select the appropriate option under Related Links on the right side of the page. Please submit completed nomination packets to ace@capnhq.gov no later than April 25.

As we close out the school year, don’t forget to submit your ACE Completion Report. Your input is essential to strengthening and improving the program each year. To submit your report, click here to go directly to the online form. Be sure to have your CAP ID# and password ready for eServices login.

Thank you for the dedication, creativity, and heart you bring to ACE. You make an extraordinary impact - and we appreciate your FACE being part of ACE this year! 

Registration opens April 1 for CAP Aerospace Education’s sixth annual Col. Joe Kittinger CAP National Aerospace High‑Altitude Balloon Challenge for Cadets. The registration deadline is midnight May 18 in the registrant’s local time zone — late entries will not be accepted.

Any cadet or composite squadron may register for this national STEM challenge at no cost. 

Teams work to select one or more science experiments to test the effects of high altitude on that experiment to determine how humans can live and work in space. The experiments will be launched to the edge of the stratosphere in high-altitude weather balloons.

Details are available on the High-Altitude Balloon Challenge webpage – the registration link will be available on the page beginning April 1 and linked directly from the April and May AE monthly newsletters. Please address questions to hab@capnhq.gov. 

Teachers: It's time to take flight with Civil Air Patrol

CAP members who are educators are eligible for one TOP flight per fiscal year. With spring just days away, now is a great time for teachers to fly over their schools and communities!

Teachers, to request a flight, contact your state’s volunteer Director of Aerospace Education (DAE) as found on the list here. Provide your CAP ID#, the city where you live, and your cell number to help them coordinate with their Operations team to get you a plane and pilot at an airport near you -- to get you into the air!

After a pre-flight briefing, teachers can try out the controls and fly the plane. The pilot can then come visit the classroom to carry on the experience. 

(Pictured, 1st Lt. Gabriel De La Garza and AEM Naomi Nelson of Florida Wing)

Aerospace Education Excellence (AEX) Program

AEX Award registration for squadrons and AEMs:  

There is still time to make sure your squadron or classroom applies for the 2025-2026 AEX Award program in eServices. AEX program activities should take place from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 each year. Activities and resources are available in eServices, or you may use your own activities or lessons from a like-minded STEM education organization. The group and each participant will receive a certificate upon completion of the program. Teachers, these certificates are great for end-of-year awards days.

To learn more about the AEX Program, click the link below.

News and Events

National AEO School registration opens March 18

The National CAP AE team is pleased to announce the 23rd annual CAP National Aerospace Education Officers’ School to be conducted Tuesday, June 23, through Friday, June 26, at Wright-Patterson AFB located in Dayton, Ohio. Registration will open March 18.

The 2026 National AEO School is an intensive week designed to sharpen your technical expertise and cultivate the leadership required to build a scalable, high-impact Aerospace Education program. Whether you are new to the AEO role or a seasoned veteran, this week provides the tools, professional networking, and innovation needed to take your program to the next level.

For the latest information, explore the National AEO School webpage.

Key Information: 

• Available exclusively to AEOs, DAEs, and DCS/AEs.
• Meet with other AE leaders and mentors from around the country.
• Participate in engaging activities.
• Experience professional development opportunities.
• To receive AEO School credit, participants will be required to attend all sessions.



Costs:

Program Attendance Fee: $130 

Lodging Costs: $120/per night + Tax

Registration: 

Registration is different from prior years. Please use the button below for more details and instructions.

If you have any questions, please email aeoschool@capnhq.gov. It will be an enjoyable and educational week, and we hope to see many of you there!

Aurora Watch: Technical Training now in Absorb

Join a groundbreaking Aerospace Education mission as Civil Air Patrol partners with NASA Science Activation's Aurorasaurus to revolutionize space weather forecasting. Current aurora prediction models are often inaccurate by hundreds of miles; through this mission, CAP provides the real-time, nationwide data collection needed to fix them.

It is now easier than ever to join in this exciting mission. Complete the Aurora Watch Mission: Technical Training in Absorb to become eligible for the next activation. Check out the Aurora Watch website to review other requirements to become mission ready.

To directly enroll in the course, log in to eServices and Absorb before clicking the link below, left. Visit the Aurora Watch web page, right, to learn more about this exciting CAP/NASA Mission.

Florida Wing hosts innovative AE school

Florida Wing Civil Air Patrol hosted the 2025 FLWG Aerospace Education School late last year, bringing together dedicated members from across the Wing for two days of engaging learning and professional development.

Co-Directors Lt. Col. Julio Pastoriza, Florida Wing Deputy South, and Lt. Col. Bonnie Hinck, Florida Wing Director of Aerospace Education, led a talented team of instructors focused on preparing the next generation of Aerospace Education leaders.

Throughout the weekend, held in November, participants had the opportunity to:

• Learn the roles and responsibilities of Aerospace Education Officers (AEOs)

• Explore Aerospace Education programs and initiatives

• Participate in engaging workshops using STEM kits

• Gain valuable guidance on advancing through specialty tracks and completing annual reports.

The event directors report the school was filled with collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to advancing Aerospace Education throughout the Florida Wing.  

(If you have wing or region AE events to share in this space, please contact ae@capnhq.gov.)

(Welcome to AE Safety Check - things to consider as you lead or participate in an Aerospace Education activity. The writer of this monthly feature is Lt. Col. Karen Cooper, National AE Manager, who works in safety and risk management on the AE National Headquarters Staff and is also the Northeast Region DCS/Aerospace Education.)

If you have a safety topic you would like to be included in this space, please email kcooper@ner.cap.gov.

This February, we released an updated version of the Introduction to Cybersecurity guide, specifically redesigned to enhance usability.

We have expanded the Careers Section to better reflect the current industry landscape. These updates highlight the critical needs of the field today, aiming to inspire cadets and students to explore this high-demand STEM path for their future.

What's next?

While these design and career updates are available now, Introduction to Cybersecurity is also on our roadmap for a comprehensive content update. Stay tuned as we continue to evolve this resource to stay at the cutting edge of the cyber landscape!

Ready to start?



Access the updated resource now on Absorb at the link below.

All Aerospace Education Members (AEMs) are offered an annual FREE “in-kind renewal." The online renewal email is sent 60 days prior to the membership expiration date. A renewal banner appears at the top of the eServices sign-in page 90 days prior to expiring. (You can’t renew earlier than 90 days.) Find additional information at the link below.

AEOs, reach out to your AEMs whose memberships expire within 60 days or whose memberships have expired. For more guidance, see Recruiting and Retention of AEMs on the AEO Resources page link below.

Please note: CAP has several categories of membership, but each member can only be assigned one category of membership. Any adult uniformed member, who is an educator, may access all the resources available to an AEM. 

Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education

Contact: Aerospace Education

https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/ae