JFKR AAA Program Celebrates 2024 Graduates and Attains Milestone

JFKR Aviation and Aeronautics Academy reached a milestone of providing 800 plus students with aviation-related educational opportunities in 2024

It was a celebration day on Friday, Aug. 9, for nearly 120 students (grades 6 through 12) who completed the 2024 Summer JFK Redevelopment Aviation and Aeronautics Academy (JFKR AAA) at York College, a program that exposes local youth to science, technology, engineering and math concepts related to aviation, aeronautics and airport management.

In addition, in partnership with York College, the JFKR Aviation & Aeronautics Academy reached a milestone of providing 800 plus students with aviation-related educational opportunities in 2024. The program debut on November 16, 2023, with close to 350 students from grades 1 through 12 and continued in the spring of 2024 with similar enrollment. The current summer program enrollment was nearly 120 (grades 6 through 12).

“Overall, the inaugural JFKR AAA Program has fulfilled its objectives to offer quality STEM education and allow community children to become aware of various technology-based training and consider opting for an aviation-related college education in the future,” said Dr. Nazrul  Khandaker, JFKR AAA Program director and professor of Geology, in York’s Department of Earth and Physical Sciences. “Kudos to the 2023 and 2024 JFKR AAA participants, teachers, peer leaders, former graduates, family focus group, program staff, and Port Authority members for all playing a vital role in accomplishing this monumental achievement.”

Pertinent resources utilized included model airplanes, robots, electric cars, and tools to create/design airports, with highlighted classroom activities taking place in small groups of 3-4 students. Students also had ample opportunity and time to conduct experiments and share with each other; utilize computer labs to practice CAD (Computer Aided Design), programming language, and virtual flight simulation; and learn about the fundamentals of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The summer 2024 program enabled a smaller cohort of students to get involved in in-depth, project-based STEM activities, adding on to their fall/spring experience.  Of particular importance was the creation of competitive scholarships for representative high school students, which allowed select high school students to earn college credit on a college-level course in business or aviation. 

Several site visits to JFK, LaGuardia, and Cradle of Aviation Museum (Long Island) brought excitement and piqued interest on how airports function in terms of management, customer service, air traffic control, flight operation, and safety. These site visits complemented students’ classroom learning by enabling them to witness day-to-day airport operations in person. Many students expressed their delight and appreciated the joint efforts between the JFKR AAA and Port Authority to plan and successfully accomplish these trips in a timely manner.

One of this year’s summer students said he found the program to be an “amazing experience. I’m very happy. It’s very interesting to play with the robots and all the games they give us, the options and electronic benefits, the lessons they teach us and all the science behind it. I found it very interesting.”

The program also routinely receives constructive feedback from the parents and caregivers. Zilefa Grace Rajendra (valedictorian, class of 2017, BS in Mathematics), parent of two daughters enrolled in the summer 2024 program candidly expressed her thoughts, “My two daughters are enjoying the JFKR AAA Program to the extent they drag me out exceedingly early in the morning not to miss any instruction. The program is different, has adequate and practical STEM lessons, is resourceful and seemed to capture their attention five days a week. This is commendable.”

Dr. Nazrul Khandaker contributed to this article.