Ohio’s Toledo Public Schools recently launched a new partnership with Delta Airlines to enable students in the district’s Aerospace and Natural Science Academy of Toledo (ANSAT) to participate in specific aviation training.  

Delta will provide equipment, materials and hands-on state-of-the-art training while Delta’s mechanics will visit ANSAT to work with students. In addition, the partnership will provide professional development for ANSAT’s staff and top students will earn Delta interview opportunities.

"Our students now will get cutting-edge exposure, training, education, internship and potential employment with Delta Airlines," said Toledo Public Schools Superintendent Romules Durant.

According to WTOL, the training students receive will enable them to be fully certified in Airframe and Power Plant Mechanics. The training cost approximately $50,000, but as a result of the partnership, it will be free for students.

Logan Nidek, an eleventh-grader at ANSAT, wants to become a mechanic at Delta's main hub one day, and is thrilled to be getting this unique, hands-on experience.

"They're going to be giving us equipment as well so we can learn how their planes work instead of just ours down here in our building," said Nidek.

This is the second partnership of its kind in the United States with the only other existing partnership located in New York.