– as Youth Aviation Camp concludes

More than 20 aspiring aviators last week graduated on successful completion of Guyana’s first-ever Youth Aviation Camp, a three-week programme conducted by the African Cultural Development Association (ACDA), in collaboration with the Urban Pilots’ Network (UPN).

Whilst most kids know the joy it generates to get a toy or some other gift for Christmas, not many have experienced the joy of being additionally presented with that special certificate just before Christmas. And so, for the excited and keenly appreciative band of aspiring aviators, it was more than a dream come true.

The programme which commenced on November 18 and concluded on December 8, was undertaken with funding secured from the Youth Innovation Programme Initiative through the Ministry of Education.
The graduation ceremony was held at ACDA’s Akwabee House, Thomas Lands on December 8, during which more than 40 enthusiastic participants from schools around Georgetown were presented with certificates and lauded for their interest and outstanding performance.

The ACDA-UPN Youth Aviation Camp is primarily dedicated to stimulating the minds of young African Guyanese through the Application of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S.T.E.M.) across the varying facets of the Aviation Sector.
The programme was run by Dionne Haynes who has over 14-years of experience working in the Aviation sector, across varying occupations. He is a commercial pilot currently flying a Twin Otter DHC6-300 aircraft. A trained aircraft mechanical technician, he possesses a Bachelors Degree in Commercial Aviation Management from the University of Western Ontario.

Recognising the importance of science in the classroom, Programme Co-ordinator Haynes, along with two organisations of which he is a member, launched the programme to help stimulate the minds of young Guyanese.
Haynes observed that Guyana is on the verge of going through great developmental change, and said it will need capable, qualified and technically- inclined youth to usher in a new era of Guyanese prosperity.

“The next generation of Guyanese will not have the luxury of being given any free rides. They will have to work and engineer the changes they want to see in their community, noting that “STEM is the key.”
Giving an overview of the programme, Haynes said that the ACDA-UPN Aviation camp, despite being coined an aviation camp, incorporates much more.

The programme taught young people to critically think, ask questions, challenge status quos, solve problems,develop leadership attributes such as public speaking; conceptualising engineering designs spatially; to use their higher math; operate complex machine systems and interact with cutting-edge technology. He said it was designed and executed to push the next generation of Guyanese to strive to be extraordinary in all that they endeavour to do.

Essentially, the ACDA-UPN Programme introduced young people to aviation and imparted basic skills on an introductory level, through experiential teaching by current aviation professionals. The programme utilised virtual reality, flight simulation, unmanned aerial vehicles, teamwork to accomplish navigation tasks and a host of cutting-edge teaching tools to empower the next generation of Guyanese.

Going forward, ACDA-UPN hopes the programme will be further funded for another year to build on this year’s success by hopefully conducting flight lessons in a live trainer aircraft. The aim is to eventually develop a national air-cadets programme which will complement President David Granger’s Youth Opportunity Core Initiative, ACDA said.

ACDA-UPN is of the view that this will spark a greater desire on the part of youths to pursue a career in aviation, ensuring that the Guyana aviation sector will have ample supplies of capable and enthusiastic young minds to help build a vast, safe and competitive national airline network.

“The overarching aim of the ACDA-UPN Aviation camp is to be proactive in recognising the future demands of Guyana as a nation, and preparing for it through training and mentorship of young Guyanese,” Haynes said.

Reflecting on the topics covered, Violet Smith who delivered reflections and the charge, cited that the participants learned facts about the environment; the atmosphere and how it interacts with us each day; about what creates thunderstorms; about outer space; about famous African scientists and aviators; learned who was the first African female to fly and own an aircraft (Bessie Coleman) about aerodynamics and a host of other things. The participants also visited the Ogle Airport and toured the control tower.

Smith said that the ACDA-UPN Aviation Camp was geared at teaching young people to be inquisitive; question the norms; think critically; assume leadership roles and find creative ways of solving the problems within their environment.

In concluding, she challenged the participants: “Do not accept what the world tells you, you are, but who you think you are! You are the future! You are the answers to the questions! Do not be extraordinary! Stand up; be heard and change your world!” She said, adding that even though they may not all become aviators, “Whatsoever thy hands findeth to do, do it with all thy might.”