NASA school visits highlight Florida’s aerospace training pipeline
NASA’s Elaine Ho visited three Central Florida schools as Space Florida expands programmes intended to prepare students for careers across the aerospace and technology sectors.
NASA associate administrator Elaine Ho has visited three Central Florida schools to observe students taking part in Space Florida Academy programmes covering aerospace engineering, robotics, aviation, building trades and cloud computing.
The visit followed NASA’s announcement of $10.5 million in State Hubs awards to seven organisations nationwide. Space Florida was selected for Project ORBIT, which aims to expand opportunities for middle and high school students, increase enrolment in career and technical programmes, and create a statewide portal connecting skilled workers with aerospace employers.
At Lyman High School in Longwood, students demonstrated skills in aerospace engineering, robotics, building trades and welding. In Merritt Island, Ho visited the Aeronautics & Flight Exploration programme and cloud computing classrooms at Merritt Island High School, as well as a robotics laboratory at nearby Edgewood Junior/Senior High School.
According to NASA and Space Florida, the academy has grown from 23 to 42 participating school districts since its launch in August 2024. The programme is intended to support pathways into aviation and aerospace, advanced manufacturing, construction, cybersecurity, logistics and semiconductor industries.
Ho said NASA was focused on making those opportunities easier for students to reach. The academy’s stated workforce goals extend beyond aerospace, linking school-based training with a broader range of technical careers.
