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Stephen M. Price Foundation
Publish Date: Aug/Sept 2007 | |
Stephen Price has been a part of the aviation industry since he joined the Air Force at the age of 17. He has been an active volunteer and philanthropist in his community almost as long, so creating the "Young Aviators" program as well as a foundation to sponsor it made perfect sense.
In the 1990s, Stephen donated an airplane to a charity that was hoping to teach young people to fly. When the charity had trouble getting the program off the ground and sold the plane instead, Stephen knew he had to create a program himself. Recently retired from his work as a CEO in the healthcare industry, Stephen was working towards his own pilot's license and knew the cost and dedication needed for flight training. In 1998, he created the Stephen M. Price Foundation to sponsor the "Young Aviators" program.
"Young Aviators" was originally created to offer ground school and flight training to under-privileged kids in the area surrounding Jacksonville, Florida. Over the years, the program has grown to serve a larger population of Jacksonville's youth and in 2003, "Young Aviators" partnered with Duval County Schools to create a magnet program for high school students interested in aviation.
Students as well as their parents must sign a pledge, committing to the program and agreeing to its regulations, which include expectations about dress, conduct and academic performance. Students are given a t-shirt to wear as their uniform and must maintain a 2.5 GPA. Students are also required to write an essay about why they want aviation-related training. According to the foundation's Web site, "The overall goal of the ‘Young Aviators' Program is to instill a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem in young men and women, who have a desire to apply themselves and broaden their horizons."
The foundation works hard to help students become better people and better students. They arrange academic tutoring for those who need it and have even assisted students in obtaining employment at the airport. If students are motivated to learn and are willing to work hard, the Stephen M. Price Foundation will help them accomplish their goals.
Although not all the students in the magnet program continue on to flight school, most successfully complete the ground school portion of the program where they are trained in the basic principles of flight, navigation, weather, math and other aviation-related topics. Those who do proceed to flight training will work with certified flight instructors who prepare the students for solo flight and the other requirements needed for a pilot's license. Of those in the original magnet program, only eight students are still working with "Young Aviators," but interest in the program has risen again and another magnet program is planned for 2008.
In addition to the magnet program, "Young Aviators" also works with handicapped children and the local public housing system. Handicapped children who wish to participate receive a personalized flight of approximately two hours and a certificate commemorating their flight. Young people from the public housing system receive an abbreviated ground school program and then participate in a longer flight. Three students are taken at a time and each is allowed to fly the aircraft for one leg of the flight. They also get a certificate upon completion of their training and occasionally, some go on to join the full "Young Aviators" program. The program also arranges field trips for local children to aviation-related events such as Sun ‘n Fun.
Although only a handful of students have earned pilot's licenses since the program's inception, hundreds have been touched and their lives enriched by the "Young Aviators" program. Several former "Young Aviators" now work in aviation-related jobs. One young man has joined the Air Force and countless others have been given access to a world normally out of reach for most young men and women.
According to founder and chairman, Stephen Price, the success of this program has been due in large part to its volunteers. No one in the foundation receives a salary and everyone is dedicated to helping young people. A stellar example of this dedication is Joel Weaner, the program's Director of Flight Training. Joel relocated from out of state to be part of the "Young Aviators" program. In addition to running his own banner-flying company, he spends as much time as he can with kids in the program. According to Stephen, "Joel loves kids. He's always here to help them and flies with them every day he can."
The "Young Aviators" program has the capacity for about 100 students in ground school, but only eight to 10 in flight training. More aircraft and flight instructors are always needed.
If you would like more information about volunteering, making a donation or helping a youngster in the Jacksonville area get involved in the program, visit www.smpf.org
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Written by Michelle Abbott |
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