That year, they were the only school in Ohio at the time where students could learn about drones while getting both high school and college credit for doing it.
But the program has grown over the years, and last year, it included Springfield-Clark Career Technology Center (CTC), Global Impact STEM Academy (GISA), Northwestern High School and Midview High School in Grafton near Cleveland.
Shadh Molla, professor of the Emmanuel Christian Academy Aerospace Institute, said because of the program’s success and those who helped with it, the Ohio Aerospace Program was added as a line-item in the recent state budget and signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on July 1. He said this means the program is a permanent fixture in the Ohio state budget and the legislature would have to actively vote to remove it.
Funding can now also be distributed to any participating high school in Ohio, Molla said, and six new schools have joined the program this year, “more than doubling the number of participating schools.” They include Aiken New Tech High School, Logan High School, Columbus Adventist Academy, East Palestine High School, Vantage Career Center, and Sandusky High School.
“We are very grateful to the legislature, Rep. Bernie Willis, and Gov. Mike DeWine, as this provides considerable security and optimism for the future of our program. More importantly, it allows us to expand our footprint across the entire state, cementing Ohio’s reputation as the birthplace of aviation,” Molla said.
In the program, students earn course credits between 8 and 16 hours related to aviation, including drones, and study and prepare for the FAA Part 107 test to get a pilot’s license to be certified to fly unmanned drones. Some of the courses include Journey to Flight, an introduction to aviation history aeronautics, general aviation and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS); and also principals of aeronautical science, a survey of aviation topics such as aerodynamics, airframes, meteorology, navigation, flight physiology, aviation industry, and regulations.
Last year with the five schools that participated in the program, 424 students enrolled, earning a total of 330 credit hours. The final numbers for this year are not yet known, but since there are now 11 schools participating, it’s an estimated total of 850 students enrolled.
Col. Bernie Willis, a former Air Force pilot who now serves as a state representative, played a key role in bringing the Florida-based program to Ohio, according to previous statements from Molla. They received a grant from the state to fund the program, including startup costs and expansion.
Willis reached out to a friend in Florida about them looking to get into STEM, which is when he learned the program in Florida was looking to expand into other states. He then talked to his then state representatives and senator who wanted to try to get something into a state budget to get a pilot program.
They were a few months too late to get into that budget cycle, but were able to get it started with the help of a local foundation to get the first year done, Willis said. After the program started, COVID hit and caused a couple-year delay, but it was eventually added as a program in the statewide budget.
The program was initially funded by the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE). The total allocation for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 was $250,000 each, which meant a distribution of $36,000 a fiscal year per member school. Funds for member schools can be used for any program-related expense such as equipment, instructor training and enrichment programs like field trips to the Air Force Museum or flights in an actual aircraft.
Molla, who was hired in June 2023, has a background in Air Force in the space command, and an education background as he was a science teacher at Springfield Christian for seven years, and he currently teaches the program, as well as algebra and geometry at Emmanuel Christian.
Recently, Molla took Emmanuel Christian Academy upperclassman in the program to practice flying at the Springfield-Beckley Airport. For several students, it was the first time they’ve been in an aircraft, Molla said, with some having flown commercial but never a general aviation aircraft.
“What the goal of the program is, is to get students familiar with the general concepts of aviation and flight,” he said. “We’re getting them excited about flying by taking them up in an actual aircraft ... They get to go up, they get to actually take the controls and fly around, see what it’s like. Just kind of get them excited and also let them get a hands-on experience about some of the things that we’re learning about.”
Any Ohio high school interested in joining the program can contact Molla at smolla@ecaoh.com or call Emmanuel Christian Academy at 937- 390-3777.
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