WAI Launches 9th Annual Girls in Aviation Day
August 23, 2023 – Thousands of girls, ages 8-18, around the world on September 23 will be able to experience the 9th Annual Girls in Aviation Day (GIAD) in their local communities through unique events hosted by Women in Aviation International (WAI) chapters and corporate members. WAI will continue to offer additional virtual resources, activities, information, and instructional videos via the free Aviation for Girls app.
Already more than 150 events are planned at airports, FBOs, museums, and hangars across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Some 30,000 girls will be introduced to the career and lifestyle possibilities in aviation and aerospace through meeting female role models, career panels, exploring airplanes and airports, and a host of hands-on, fun, and educational activities ranging from sectional chart scavenger hunts, to exploring the Moon and Mars research sites, to learning about aircraft engines and avionics with maintenance technicians.
To enjoy the full Girls in Aviation Day experience, while supplies last, WAI event hosts will offer free activity kits to participants featuring a Girls in Aviation Day backpack filled with Aviation for Girls 2023 Issue 2, a propeller activity, an aviation sectional chart, a WAI sticker, a glitter tattoo, the new WAI Career Guide titled The Sky is Unlimited, and a bandana. Additionally, caps, keychains, and GIAD T-shirts for adults and children are available for a small cost. Kids who don’t have access to an in-person event can download the Aviation for Girls app for free to participate in a virtual Girls in Aviation Day.
“Thanks to the generous support of our partners, Women in Aviation International has significantly expanded this one-day event to reach girls interested in aviation and aerospace year-round through our Aviation for Girls program,” says WAI Interim CEO Stephanie Kenyon. “As a part of this comprehensive youth STEM education program, we launched a new, free Junior membership for girls and boys 18 years and younger so they can enjoy all the WAI benefits and resources, including the ability to apply for up to three WAI scholarships. We know Girls in Aviation Day has been instrumental in introducing opportunities in aviation and STEM to thousands of participants all around the world.”
New for 2023, WAI has published The Sky is Unlimited: Careers in Aviation and Aerospace that will be included in each GIAD Activity Kit and will be available on the Aviation for Girls app as well as the WAI website at WAI.org/aviation-careers.
To find a GIAD event near you, visit WAI.org/find-your-local-giad-2023-event. Additional information and updates about Girls in Aviation Day is available at WAI.org/giad.
About Girls in Aviation Day: Since WAI’s first international Girls in Aviation Day in 2015, the annual WAI event has grown every year since its first gathering of 32 events and 3,200 participants. In 2019, GIAD met more than 20,000 attendees participating in 119 events in 18 countries. In 2020—owing to COVID-19—WAI launched version 1 of the Aviation for Girls app with hours of educational content reaching thousands of girls from more than 60 countries. Last year’s GIAD reached more than 16,000 participants in 19 countries at over 120 events presented worldwide.
Many thanks to our 2023 Girls in Aviation Day partners and donors, without whom this education program would not be possible. Our supporters include the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, JetBlue Foundation, PPG Foundation, SkyWest Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Sporty’s Pilot Shop, Baylor Institute for Air Science, Conoco Phillips, and the Emanual Bachmann Foundation.
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Women in Aviation International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to increasing the number of women involved in all areas of aviation and aerospace. For more information, contact WAI at waihq@wai.org or visit www.WAI.org.