Change the Lives of Young Women Through Aviation!

We are Empowerment Through Aviation, an organization dedicated to inspiring young women, especially young women of color, to launch careers in aviation. ETA honors the memory of former Navy pilot Brigitte Jacobson by supporting young women from Baltimore City Public Schools as they pursue careers in aviation. Aviation is a prime example of an industry in dire need of diversification. Did you know that only 6% of airline pilots worldwide are female? Further, in the U.S., only 3% of airline pilots are Black, and the number of Black female pilots is estimated to be less than 1%! Our mission is to change that narrative. A career as a pilot can be gratifying and exciting. The financial rewards and benefits can have a multi-generational impact. We want young women to know that these jobs are for them TOO!

Empowerment Through Aviation has programs centered around three phases.

Phase One introduces middle school girls to the world of aviation through a "discovery flight." Students get to experience flying a plane with a licensed instructor. The goal is to spark an interest in aviation and related fields. In Phase Two, high school students receive ground instruction in the fundamentals of aviation, practice in an aircraft simulator housed at their school, and receive about five hours of instruction in a training aircraft. The aim here is to boost piloting confidence and provide training for students interested in Phase Three or other routes toward pilot certification.

Flight training is very expensive, and this creates a barrier for too many. ETA's Phase Three is designed to help a subset of students from Phase Two get their private pilot certificate - the first step toward a career as a pilot! Our partner, Brett Aviation, Baltimore's premier FAA Certified Part 141 flight school, conducts all flight training, and ETA covers all associated costs. Reaching our fundraising goal will allow us to fully fund one young woman's journey to private pilot certification. Please share this with friends and family. Your gift will make a difference in Baltimore, in our schools, and in the lives of our young people!