Chapter Youth Programs Workshop at AirVenture 2026!

Once the last airplane has shut down, the last high visibility vest has been put away, and the volunteers are waving goodbye to the final Young Eagle of the day, one question often remains: “What’s next?”

Since joining the EAA Chapters team, I have learned that one of our most important responsibilities is helping chapters do what they do best: build community through aviation. Part of that colossal effort involves providing programs and resources that help chapters maintain momentum and continue engaging with youths after the Young Eagles rally concludes.

EAA’s Chapters and Young Eagles teams help support that goal by delivering opportunities for engagement through various programs. Young Eagles Workshops, Young Eagles Build and Fly, and AeroEducate all give chapters access to hands-on activities and education resources that help create interest and encourage continued involvement with EAA and aviation. Together, these programs provide a wide range of ideas and tools that chapters can use to strengthen their youth outreach efforts and create a meaningful aviation experience for young people within their communities.

One of the things I appreciate most about these programs is that they allow chapters to engage with youths without having to depend entirely on a pilot, an aircraft, or compliant weather. Instead, they rely on what many chapters already have in abundance: dedicated volunteers who are passionate about sharing this cool thing called “aviation.” These programs provide opportunities to host hands-on, day-camp style activities that introduce young people to skills and concepts that extend beyond a single flight.

As someone who works closely with chapters across the country, I have seen firsthand how these experiences can ignite a curiosity in today’s youths. Young Eagles Workshops offers activities that teach practical skills and often incorporate elements of aircraft construction, reflecting on EAA’s roots in homebuilding. Young Eagles Build and Fly combines the excitement of scale modeling with the principles of flight, giving participants insight into how to build an aircraft, fly it, and get an overall understanding of how aircraft work from the ground up. AeroEducate introduces youths to the many career paths within aviation while building a foundational knowledge that benefits aspiring pilots, mechanics, engineers, and countless other pathways in the industry.

This year at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026, we are thrilled to present chapter leaders with the unique opportunity to roll up their sleeves and find a bit of youth in themselves by participating in the Chapter Youth Programs Workshop hosted by the Young Eagles, Chapters, and AeroEducate teams on Saturday, July 25, 2026, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

We invite you to join us and see how easy these programs can be to implement into your chapter, and perhaps even leave with a little something to remember the experience by. You will have time to converse with our team, and we can answer any questions about how to get your chapter involved with any of these programs.

Sign up is available via this link: Chapter Youth Programs Workshop.