North Carolina Global TransPark Holds ACE Academy

ACE Academy allows Greene and Lenoir County Middle School students to get up close and personal with aerospace and aviation careers!

This year’s North Carolina Global TransPark ACE Academy was a tremendous success! Over 15 Greene and Lenoir County Middle School students enjoyed three weeks of activities and various STEM challenges that taught them the many aspects of aerospace and aviation. From touring aviation industries, learning the history and principles of flight, exploring various aircraft types, building and launching rockets, and flying drones, this year’s ACE Academy ROCKED!

STEM Activities:

  • Taught the principles of flight
  • Drone missions
  • Launching custom-built bottle rockets

Locations Visited:

  • flyExclusive, LLC
  • Kinston Aero-Modelers Association
  • Kinston Regional Jetport
  • NC State University – Institute for Transportation Research and Education
  • Lenoir Community College Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing Center 
  • Marine Corps Air Station-New River
  • University of Mount Olive Flight School
  • Mount Olive Municipal Airport

Aircraft and Equipment Explored:

  • Flight Simulator
  • Cessna Citation jet
  • Antonov An-124 cargo
  • Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey
  • Airport Fire Truck

The main goal of the ACE Academy is to promote aerospace and aviation careers to the next generation and let them see that those careers are right here in Eastern NC.

We are thankful for all the outstanding partnerships that made this year’s ACE Academy happen! Thank you to Greene County Schools, Lenoir County Public Schools, North Carolina Global TransPark, and Lenoir Community College for hosting the event.

This event was also sponsored by the NC Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation, which awarded a grant to host aviation and aerospace-themed summer academies for students interested in aviation and aerospace careers.