LIFT Academy and The Pursuit Institute Partner for High School Student Success

LIFT Academy has partnered with The Pursuit Institute (TPI) to help high school students in Hamilton County Indiana visualize and pursue a career in aviation.

TPI’s Aviation Management program, in collaboration with LIFT Academy and Ivy Tech, provides students the opportunity to explore careers in aviation while earning dual credit from Ivy Tech. LIFT Academy provides the Private Pilot Theory course, equivalent to LIFT Academy’s Private Pilot Ground School curriculum, and is being taught by one of LIFT’s own check instructors, Clayton Brown. As a capstone project, students will have the opportunity to sit for their FAA Private Pilot Written Exam.

In 2024, the inaugural year for the program, there are 28 students, representing 6 Hamilton County high schools enrolled in the program. Their career aspirations include pilot, maintenance, and airport operations. In addition to providing curriculum, students had the opportunity to visit the LIFT Academy hangar to learn about student life at LIFT and get a feel for the aircraft and simulators. LIFT has also arranged for students to journey to the Indianapolis International Airport ATC tower as part of their course later this year.

The Pursuit Institute prepares Hamilton County, Indiana high school students for a wide range of high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand careers. By forgoing a brick-and-mortar building and coordinating robust programs directly with education, industry, and community hosts, their career and technical education pathways are positioned to meet local employers’ needs.