FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 30, 2025

PELLA: Fly 2.0 Takes Flight — Aviation and Aerospace Summer Camp Soars into Montgomery Public Schools

MONTGOMERY — During the week of July 21^st – 25^th, 2025, rising 9th grade students from Montgomery Public Schools participated in PELLA: Fly 2.0, a weeklong summer camp dedicated to hands-on aviation and aerospace education.

The camp is powered by a transformative partnership between the Air University Innovation Accelerator (AUiX), Auburn University’s GEAR UP Achieve program, the Alabama STEM Council, and Montgomery Public Schools. Together, these organizations are creating immersive STEM opportunities that connect students directly to the future of flight, engineering, and innovation.

Throughout the week, students engaged in real-world activities at aviation learning stations, toured local aviation infrastructure, and explored career paths with industry professionals. Each student received more than an hour and thirty minutes of hands-on flight experience during two days of discovery flights from Dannelly Field. Highlights included appearances and workshops by: Tuskegee University, Flight Works Alabama, Civil Air Patrol, Montgomery Regional Airport, RD Aire, Alabama Technology in Motion, and many more community and industry partners.

“Partnerships like these are so beneficial to everyone involved,” said Greg Reed, Alabama Department of Workforce Secretary. “Students were able to gain valuable exposure to an exciting industry with unlimited potential for growth in Alabama.”

“This is more than a summer camp — it’s an investment in Alabama’s future workforce and a celebration of what’s possible when education, opportunity, and purpose come together,” said DeVanté Snell, Chief of Events and Public Outreach at AUiX.

PELLA: Fly 2.0 is designed to ignite curiosity and confidence in students through mentorship, exposure, and experiential learning in one of the world’s most vital and inspiring industries.

The Alabama STEM Council is a part of the Alabama Department of Workforce.

Members of the media seeking more information should contact Jonathan McNair at Jonathan.mcnair@labor.alabama.gov or DeVanté Snell at devante@auix.org. Attached are photos taken during the camp.  Photo credit: Alabama STEM Council.

### 

Members of the media seeking more information should contact Public Information Officer Jonathan McNair jonathan.mcnair@labor.alabama.gov

An Equal Opportunity Employer / Program

Auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

Dial 711 for TTY Accessibility