Excitement Sure to Soar as Indiantown Kids Go Behind the Scenes at Stuart Jet Center
STUART (July 16, 2008) - When school starts up again and teachers assign the classic "What-I-Did-This-Summer" essay, kids from the Indiantown YMCA won't suffer from writer's block.
Thanks to "Why You Matter," a summer program that aims to excite Indiantown kids about the potential they possess, they'll have lots to share. The program invites local professionals with interesting jobs to donate their time and resources to teach the kids about compelling and attainable career possibilities.
At 1:45 p.m. Wednesday July 16, about 50 students ages 5 to 13 toured the Stuart Jet Center at Witham Field in Stuart, where they got to go in the control tower, see Life Star rescue helicopter facilities, even board an aircraft.
The Indiantown YMCA is almost entirely donor supported; 98 percent of the 160 kids in its daycare and summer program hail from families that are considered the "working poor" and live at the poverty level. So opportunities such as these evoke an especially sincere appreciation.
"Aviation still fascinates adults, so it really captivates the kids," said Shawn Keil, executive director of the Indiantown YMCA. "For the Stuart Jet Center to give our students a behind-the-scenes look at such a cool line of work is a great investment in the future of Indiantown. Opportunities like this really inspire the kids to dream big dreams."
Early childhood exposure to one of the most thrilling sights in all of aviation certainly made an impression on Dan Capen, president of Stuart Jet Center.
"I remember seeing my dad, who was Marine Corps pilot, take off and land his F-8 Crusader fighter jet on an aircraft carrier. That was really something," said Dan Capen, president of Stuart Jet Center. "You know, that bright-eyed hopefulness of childhood-that belief that anything is possible-is what's at the root of aviation, so for us, this is a natural fit."
For more information, call Lindsay Nickerson at (772) 631-9084 or (772) 219-1719.
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