February CAP AE Newsletter

February 2023

This month, we celebrate Black History Month. As a resource for AEOs and AEMs in squadrons and classrooms, we have a Black History Lessons page on our website that highlights accomplishments of Black pioneers in aerospace/STEM fields.

Click the picture at the top right to see a video of CAP member Lt. Col. Rochelle Kimbrell, who is a pioneer in Black history as the first Black female F-16 pilot. She visited the CAP Aerospace Education booth at the Women in Aviation International Conference in Long Beach, California, last week. Listen as she recalls how her experience as a CAP cadet influenced her aviation career. (The video is on our Facebook page.)

All month long, CAP has celebrated Black history on its social media accounts by sharing the stories of members. One of those members honored is Col. Richard Cooper (pictured below, second from left) commander of the Tuskegee Composite Squadron and a former wing commander of the National Capital Wing in the District of Columbia. Col. Cooper has impacted hundreds of youth in Aerospace Education and beyond through his many years of CAP service. Click here to read the full story.

If you know of other members for us to highlight in this newsletter, please let us know at ae@capnhq.gov. Your story may be the next one told!

THIS MONTH: Program updates - AE Safety Check - Curriculum -

- Important things to know

PROGRAM UPDATES

CAP's AE STEM Kit Program -- featured kit

FEATURED STEM KIT - 30 DAYS LOST IN SPACE: The 30 Days Lost in Space STEM Kit is an electronics kit that teaches all the basics of programming, wiring and more using the Arduino IDE and the components inside the kit. The story takes place on a foreign planet, where your spaceship has crash-landed at the bottom of the ocean. Your goal is to fix your spaceship and make it home successfully by learning the necessary programming/wiring skills you need to do so. NOTE: Not included, but needed for this kit, is a laptop or computer to program the HERO board and an internet connection to access the challenge. The kit is recommended for ages 12 and older.

MORE ON THE 30 DAYS LOST IN SPACE  STEM KIT

CAP STEM KIT WEB PAGES

AE Safety Check

(Welcome to AE Safety Check! These safety nuggets are things to think about as you lead or participate in an Aerospace Education activity. The writer of this monthly feature is Lt. Col. Karen Cooper, who works in safety and risk management on the AE National Headquarters Staff and is also the Northeast Region DCS/Aerospace Education.)

DON'T BE RELUCTANT TO REPORT A MISHAP

Have you ever been reluctant to report a mishap? Please don’t be. Did you know that when it comes to AE safety (actually all CAP safety), we have something called a “just culture”? In CAP, it is there to encourage open reporting by members, who must be confident they will be treated fairly when they report. Leadership should foster an environment of trust where members are encouraged and even rewarded for reporting safety related information, while still realizing there is a line to be drawn between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. What does this mean to you? Mishap reviews should be conducted solely with the goal of determining “what happened and why” rather than “who is to blame.” So, if you see something, say something.

MORE AE SAFETY INFORMATION

If you have a safety topic you would like to be included in this space, please email kcooper@ner.cap.gov.

CURRICULUM SPOTLIGHT

General Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr.

In this lesson, cadets and students will learn about the first African American officer to become a Brigadier General in the U.S. Air Force. General Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr. later earned the ranks of Major General (the first Black Two-star General in the military) and Lieutenant General (Three Stars), He was honored with a Fourth Star, as General, post-retirement. In addition to exploring the story of Gen. Davis, learners will make and fly a stunt airplane. The lesson is Chapter 1 in the CAP booklet Tuskegee Airmen: Red Tail Honor with Pride. Or click the link below. Civil Air Patrol has additional resources and lessons honoring the contributions of Black pioneers in STEM. Visit our Black History Lessons page.

GENERAL BENJAMIN OLIVER DAVIS, JR. LESSON

Each month, this space features important highlights or answers to frequently asked questions. Here are four things you need to know as an AEM or AEO.

AEOs and AEMs: STEM Kits are not limited to one per year

AEOs and AEMs, there are no restrictions on the number of STEM Kits you can apply for within a fiscal or school year. Once you have received your STEM Kit, used it for a minimum of six hours and turned in a STEM Kit evaluation, you are eligible to apply for your next kit for your cadets or students. For full information on the program process, click the link below. Have questions? Email stem@capnhq.gov.

STEM KIT PROGRAM PROCESS

You can update your eServices profile information. Here's how:

Sign into eServices and click on your name in the top right hand corner. Update your email address, mailing address, contact numbers, etc. This ensures you receive timely and pertinent information from CAP. If you are a teacher, ensure your primary email address is your home and your secondary email address is your school so that your annual renewal email and any other important information will not end up as spam in your school email account.

AEMs: Is it time to renew your membership?

All Aerospace Education Members (AEMs) are offered an annual FREE “in-kind renewal." The online renewal email is sent 60 days prior to the membership expiration date. A renewal banner appears at the top of the eServices sign-in page 90 days prior to expiring. (You can’t renew earlier than 90 days.) Find additional information at the link below.

AEOs: Reach out to AEMs whose memberships expire soon

AEOs, this is the perfect time to reach out to your AEMs whose memberships expire within 60 days or whose memberships have expired. For more guidance, see Recruiting and Retention of AEMs on the AEO Resources page link below.

Please note: CAP has several categories of membership, but each member can only be assigned one category of membership. Any adult uniformed member, who is an educator, may access all the resources available to an AEM.

Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education

Contact: Aerospace Education

https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/ae