01-13-2010
10:54 AM
271 Loves
Anybody who has ever been a student remembers the first day of school after summer break. The anticipation of seeing old friends and making new ones. The favorite smells of new books and freshly sharpened pencils and your favorite meal served in the cafeteria (you know the one). This week kicks off the season when more than 780 Southwest Pilots will head back to school but it's not to learn a new job skill. Flying is in their blood and, and it's what they love to do. These Pilots are entering the more than 1,250 classrooms working with almost 35,000 fifth-grade students across the country to help them learn how to make lifetime goals and achieve their dreams. These Pilots are what makes the Southwest Airlines Adopt-a-Pilot program so special. Adopt-a-Pilot is an award-winning program that places Southwest Pilots in elementary school classrooms across the nation. SWA Pilots demonstrate to fifth-grade students how math, science, geography and other skills learned in school take on a real life application to any occupation you decide to pursue when you get older. Last year, this same group of Pilots volunteered over 10,000 hours of their personal time mentoring these students from all walks of life. So this week as our Pilots prepare their lesson plans and try on the new Adopt-a-Pilot tie designed by one of last year's students, we thank them for their contribution to the young people of the community. And to the fifth-grade students who will enrich these Pilot's lives over the next few months, good luck and enjoy the Adopt-a-Pilot program. Adopt-a-Pilot and Southwest Airlines, It's On! To view a video on Adopt-a-Pilot Click Here
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There are a lot of Southwest "urban" legends about how an amazing and unique program that serves communities all across the country came to be born. In truth, the Adopt-a-Pilot program at Southwest Airlines was born out of a cooperative effort with the Smithsonian Institute’s National Air and Space Museum, the National Association of Teachers of Math, and other educational specialists. The Adopt-a-Pilot program pairs volunteer Southwest Pilots with fifth grade classes across the country. The Pilot visits the classroom usually once a week over a four-week period. During these visits the students track their Pilot’s journey on a United States map and complete math, science, geography and creative arts activities that bring learning to life. What the students take away from the Adopt-a-Pilot program is the message that school is important and attaining future goals are possible through planning, hard work and determination. The program started in 1997 with only 50 Pilots and 1,250 students. Today you will find more than 700 Southwest Pilots visiting more than 30,000 students annually. Recently, Southwest Pilot’s reports of active volunteer hours donated to schools and students exceeded 10,000 hours! Ask any Pilot why they give so much time to their local schools and invariably they will tell you it’s the kids. Each child is so enthusiastic and eager to learn that the Pilot’s life is enriched as well. Numerous parents have commented that the Adopt-a-Pilot program has reignited a spark in their children’s lives and they enjoy learning once again. A teacher from Florida wrote that “one of the many benefits of having Adopt-a-Pilot in my classroom is the children have an opportunity to interact with someone who is a positive role model and who values and affirms each student.” We expect the Adopt-a-Pilot program to grow even larger in 2010. New course materials and a more flexible curriculum will make it even easier for our Pilots to participate across the country. If you would like more information on the Adopt-A-Pilot program, please visit www.southwest.com/adoptapilot. Congratulations once again to Southwest Airlines and the over 700 Pilots currently in the Adopt-a-Pilot program. By volunteering over 10,000 hours of their time these Pilots are making a difference in the community--one classroom at a time. For a video about this milestone, please click here.
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