AE News & Announcements

• • Civil Air Patrol squadrons are joining with 6th grade Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) classrooms to provide aerospace/STEM support, student mentorship, and an introduction to CAP. Who? Any CAP squadron connecting with any 6th grade classroom teacher from a public or private accredited school, preferably with Title I students.

  • Why? To build relationships in the educational community that stimulate

  • interest in underrepresented students about aerospace-related STEM

  • subjects/careers and awareness of CAP and its youth programs. 

    • • • • • • • New Aerospace and STEM resource from CAP NHQ - AE: STEM Kit Program adds kit-specific lesson plans

                • Civil Air Patrol is building lessons to accompany the STEM Kits featured in the program. As staff and volunteers develop these lesson plans, the plans are accessible in the Learning Management area of eServices. So far you can find lessons with AngLegs, Astronomy, Build and Learn Geometry, Code & Go Mouse, Flight Simulator, Hydraulic Engineering, Kano, Quadcopter, Raspberry Pi, RC Airplane, Ready-to-Fly Quadcopter, Renewable Energy, Robotics, Rocketry (pictured, above right), Snaptricity, Sphero/Mini Sphero and Weather Station. To access these plans, go to eServices > Learning Management > AXIS (at the top of the screen) > then choose Aviation, Space or Cyber.

K-6 Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) program registrations reopening on 1 September. The ACE Program is an aerospace-themed program for educators in grades K-6 who are CAP Aerospace Education Members (AEMs) or Senior Members in CAP who are educators.  This program is designed for schools/teachers to implement during the school day; yet many programs are implemented in informal, structured after-school programs and in other organizations, such as Boy and Girl Scouts, 4-H clubs and other youth groups.  ACE provides engaging and meaningful cross-curricular aerospace-themed lessons that support STEM initiatives and enrich the school curricula.  Additionally, many lessons promote good character and physical fitness, which are components of CAP's Cadet Program.  

• Aerospace Education Excellence (AEX): Civil Air Patrol offers a popular program free to its members that brings hands-on aviation and space-related activities to cadets, students and senior members. It's called AEX, and the acronym stands for "Aerospace Education Excellence." The requirements: complete six aerospace hands-on activities and one two-hour or longer field experience. Registration is required for each year (Oct. 1 - Sept. 30) you choose to participate. To complete the program, register your lessons and field trip AEX Award Report

  • Teacher Orientation Program (TOP) flight -

  • US Air Force renewed funding for Teacher Orientation Program flight (TOP). Reminder that CAP Major General Mark Smith announced an update in the TOP orientation pilot requirements: "This mission is now covered by one of our FAA exemptions allowing private pilots to fly the missions; commercial pilots with a class 2 medical are no longer required. However, we require pilots desiring to fly these missions to be qualified cadet orientation pilots." (8 February 2019 Memorandum).

Notes to CAP Aerospace Education Officers:

In 2018, National AE staff team updated all AE pamphlets and regulations. Please refer to the new publications:

• CAPR 50-1 Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education Mission 

• CAPP 50-1 Aerospace Education Officers’ Handbook 

• CAPP 50-2 Specialty Track guide – Aerospace Education Officer

  • CAPP 60-41 Cadet Cyber & STEM Recognition Programs

CAPR 50-1 and CAPP 50-1 revised the deadlines for the Aerospace Education reports.

AE deadlines: Commanders NEED to approve all submissions in eServices

• Unit 2020 Aerospace Education Annual Activity Reports (unit 2020 AE AAR) by 30 October 2021

• Group 2020 Aerospace Education Annual Activity Reports (group 2020 AE AAR) by 30 November 2021

Non mandatory:

• Unit 2021 Aerospace Education Plan of Action (unit 2021 AE POA) by 30 November 2021

• Group 2021 Aerospace Education Plan of Action (group 2021 AE POA) by 31 December 2021

If you made a mistake, email me as soon as possible. Above and Beyond section should list the AE activities your squadron has done during the year, also including in squadron activities as well as outreach, community events, school visits... 

Best Practices:

• Regularly log all your AE activities (in and out of the squadron, AE internal and external) in an online spreadsheet on the squadron's drive to facilitate your end of year reporting as well as prepare for SUI.

• Record keeping for AEX activities are 1 October to 30 September. AEX award can be obtained once 6 AEX lessons and a 2 hour activity are completed and reported. Please keep a log and file your lessons and activities as soon as you have it finished not to lose information!

• AEX lessons and activity need to be recorded by 30 September to qualify for the award.

  • Don't forget to file your STEM kit evaluations so that you can place a new request.

AE STEM Kits

• Check out one of our STEM Kits!

• List updated as of summer 2019

1. AngLegs

2. Astronomy

3. Bee-Bot / Code & Go Mouse

4. Build & Learn Geometry

5. Cross Country Navigation

6. Flight Simulator

7. Hydraulic Engineering

8. Kano

9. Quadcopter

10. Raspberry Pi

11. Ready-to-fly Quads

12. Remote-Controlled Aircraft

13. Renewable Energy

14. Robotics

15. Rocketry

16. Snaptricity

17. Sphero Mini / Sphero SPRK+

18. Weather Station

Click here to learn more.