Empowerment Through Aviation is based in Baltimore, Maryland, and is dedicated to improving the lives of the citizens of Baltimore City. Our programs are hosted by Baltimore City Public Schools and our flight training scholarships are awarded solely to students from these schools.
Phase one, “Takeoff,” is hosted by three Baltimore City Elementary/Middle Schools:
Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School is located in southeast Baltimore and is designated as a Community School by City Schools, based on the school’s demonstrated commitment to meeting the holistic needs of children and families. The CJR school serves an incredibly diverse population and almost a third of students are considered English learners. CJR’s mission is to move 100% of its students “from Commodore to College.”
Franklin Square Elementary/Middle School is located in southwest Baltimore. The school promotes positive relationships among families and community partners and provides character development and a rigorous learning environment. Franklin Square’s mission is to prepare every scholar to be college and career-ready and a responsible citizen.
Roland Park Elementary/Middle School is located in north Baltimore. RPEMS is a proudly diverse institution and one of the largest schools in the City with over 1,400 students. The school endeavors to holistically support students through academic rigor, hands-on learning, and the creative arts. RPEMS programs include the Ingenuity Program, honors courses, ESOL, and Project Lead the Way.
Phases two and three, “Cruise” and “Landing” are hosted, overseen, and managed by the Air Force Junior ROTC program (AFJROTC) at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, one of the most highly regarded public high schools in Maryland. BPI, or “Poly” as it is known locally, is a storied institution – founded in 1883 and ranked by Newsweek magazine as the #36 STEM school in the nation. ETA’s programs are housed at Poly but are open to students from Poly, and from its sister school Western High School – a proud and historic all-girls institution. Western has a 175-year history of educating Baltimore’s young women, with graduates going on to claim fame in politics, the arts, and academics.
In the Cruise phase, ETA provides young women from Poly and Western with flight scholarships each year. These scholarships fund a five flight-hour training syllabus for each student, giving participants a head start to careers in aviation.
In the Landing phase, participants from the Cruise phase will be awarded scholarships to fund all ground and flight instruction necessary to obtain a Private Pilot’s License during the junior and senior years of high school. These scholars will graduate ready to leap into college aviation programs as well as careers in flying.
All flight training for ETA programs is conducted by the flight training professionals at Brett Aviation. Brett is based at Martin State Airport, in Middle River, Maryland, and is Baltimore’s premier FAA-certified part 141 flight school. Since 1978 the instructors at Brett have been preparing future aviators for careers in flying and introducing young people to the joy of flight. As a female in a male-dominated industry, Brett Aviation Owner and President Helen Frado has a unique understanding of the need to diversify aviation. She and the entire staff of Brett are committed to seeing ETA students succeed.