The Airway Science Program exposes youth to extracurricular math, science and computer technology to promote academic achievement, inspire personal growth and development, and spark career interest in high tech, high growth industries.

A Congressional mandate to rebuild aviation's infrastructure (i.e., embrace new technologies, upgrade navigation and communication systems,  improve overall safety environment, improve airport management and security, promote overall airport growth and development, etc.) is still taking place. Among the initial efforts was a University Aviation  Association and FAA collaboration to build a new Airway Science curriculum at many colleges and universities throughout the country. This partnership was intended to help assure a pipeline of individuals with substantial overall knowledge of the aerospace environment.

CAS's development research found little or no strategic outreach effort to assure participation in this substantial activity by under-served populations (i.e., individuals outside the economic and information mainstreams; disadvantaged women and minorities).

The CAS research also found the FAA's youth education programs under-funded and mostly directed toward kids ready to graduate from   high school (i.e., student co-op and stay-in-school programs). Long-range preventative programs designed to improve minority and female participation in the aviation industry were found to be critically short throughout the country.

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