DuVal High School in Lanham, Maryland has a new offering to its students: an Aerospace Engineering and Aviation Technology class.

Nearly 70 students, including 15 girls, are in the first class of the specialty program, which is part of a new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) offering to encourage more students to embrace these fields and prepare them for careers.

Located just minutes from DuVal, NASA and the College Park Aviation Museum are serving as partners and working to expose students to career options they may otherwise overlook.

Chairman on the Prince George’s County School Board, Segun C. Eubanks said that the program is like other career academies that have opened across the country, part of an ongoing effort by school system to expose students to these high-demand fields and prepare them for college and their careers.

“Rather than just explain to them why they need algebra skills in the ninth grade, this shows them, “Eubanks said.

The academies began in Prince George’s three years ago, and are an integral component of the county’s secondary school reform. In those three years, it has opened 36 career-focuses academies, offering 12 career options to 3,400 students who participated in the specialty programs last year.

Schools chief Kevin Maxwell said the program will provide students with a competitive edge when they apply for college and if they decide to pursue a career in engineering or aviation.

The Aerospace Engineering Program at DuVal High School is a remarkable opportunity that will expose high school students to STEM subjects and provide hands-on learning. I anticipate the program, especially in partnership with NASA, will help encourage more young adults to pursue careers in STEM-related fields.