2025 was brimming with exhilarating programs – new and continuing – at the Aerospace Center for Excellence (ACE). Over the last year, ACE has reached 30,000 students through all our aviation and STEM-focused programs! As we continue to manifest our mission to engage, educate, and accelerate the next generation of aerospace professionals, let’s dive into the captivating programs that ACE offers year-round.
StoryTime
ACE is currently in its 4th year of StoryTime! Story Time is a reading program we provide for FREE that is geared towards 2-5 year olds. The weekly group meets every Tuesday at the Florida Air Museum. Ms. Jennilyn inspires the kids with STEM- and aviation-centric songs, dances and stories! Click here for more information.
STEM Sprouts
The 2nd year of STEM Sprouts offered expanded programming of educational enrichment. Each Monday, our Skylab Innovation Center has been filled with engaging, hands-on learning for children 3-11 years of age. Interested in learning more? Click here!
Wings ‘n Waffles
Chicken AND waffles?? Every month, we welcome an aerospace professional to speak about their career and give adults a perspective on what the aerospace industry has to offer. It’s a great learning experience. Those who attend get to listen while eating delicious chicken and waffles. Yum!
Click here to see the latest Wings ‘n Waffles Event!
Year-Round Field Trips
Our year-round field trips take students throughout our Skylab Innovation Center to engage in the various STEM activities in each classroom. Students also tour the Florida Air Museum with our expert Museum staff and learn about aviation history. In addition, they explore the Buehler Restoration Center to learn about many types of engines and restoration projects. For more information on how your school can get involved with field trips at ACE, click here.
In 2025, ACE launched two new field trip programs: one designed for home school students and one focused on the Florida Air Museum. The Home School Field Trip Program immerses students in 3 educational programs typically centered on flight fundamentals, engineering, and NOAA Science on a Sphere.
The Florida Air Museum began beta testing field trips this year. Tours of the Florida Air Museum are paired with activities in the Buehler Restoration Center to help students learn more about aviation operations and history. In 2026, we will expand our Florida Air Museum Field Trip offerings for grades K-4!
Summer Camps
Since 1999, ACE has been operating annual summer camps. In 2025, there were six camps for ages 7-17; Take Flight, STEMtastic, She Can Fly, Destination Aviation, Destination Aviation: Air Power, and Future Engineer camps engaged students in STEM-based activities, included field trips to places like Jet Blue and Kennedy Space Center, held discovery flights, and so much more! Did you know summer camp registration is open for 2026? Click here to see what camps we will offer this summer!
SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo Field Trips
The Aerospace Center for Excellence hosted their annual field trips during the 51st SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo. About 2,000 students participated in the hands-on STEM activities, explored the Skylab Innovation Center, and marveled at the aviation exhibits during the fly-in. ACE looks forward to welcoming thousands of youth to the annual fly-in for an immersive STEM experience.
Mark your calendars for the 2026 SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo from April 14-19, 2026 where ALL kids 12 and under get in for FREE! We also have a Florida Resident Special where Florida Residents buy Saturday at full price, get Sunday admission free! Click here to purchase your tickets today!
Teacher’s Pre-Flight Experience at the 51st SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo
The annual Teacher’s Pre-Flight Experience at SUN ‘n FUN was expanded to include a hot, catered breakfast and Keynote Speaker, Jamail Larkins, followed by special activities in the Skylab Innovation Center. The morning continued with curated visits to the Junior ACEs and Career Fair tents in the Future ‘n Flight Plaza. Later in the afternoon, teachers explored the SUN ‘n FUN campus and experienced the various activities the SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo has to offer. Click here for to register for Teacher’s Pre-Flight Experience in 2026 at the 52nd SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo.
Junior ACES
Junior ACES is a dynamic feature of the SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo that is dedicated to youth education. The ACE team offers enhanced learning and engagement opportunities for youth between the ages of 7-17. Junior ACES will be returning for the 2026 SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo! For more information on it, click here.
Middle School Aerospace Curriculum
This year marks the 2nd cycle of schools around the world implementing the Middle School Aerospace Curriculum. This curriculum is designed to pique student interest in the aerospace field of study and prepare students for high school aviation programs and create excitement about continuing in aerospace study. The curriculum is FREE! For the 2024-25 school year, the curriculum impacted 1,639 students. For the 2025-26 school year, the curriculum impacted 3,958 students! Interest is very broad, ranging from 28 states and four countries outside of the United States.
Lakeland Aero Club & After School Program
This year, the Lakeland Aero Club and After School Program challenged high school students to sharpen their aviation acumen after school. The Lakeland Aero Club (LAC) continues to teach high school students how to fly and restore airplanes; currently, LAC has 60 students. The After School Program offers an engaging STEM environment for Central Florida Aerospace Academy (CFAA) students and includes hands-on engineering projects.
Kid’s Museum Day
Last May, we hosted Kid’s Museum Day at the Florida Air Museum. Museum admission was free and kids enjoyed multiple activities inside and outside! We had bounce houses, snow cones, crafts, and guest speakers! It was a day filled with fun for everyone. Over 1,500 kids were in attendance!
Stuffed Animal Flight School
Stuffed animals took to the skies and learned how to fly! Nearly 100 stuffies enrolled in our annual Stuffed Animal Flight School, where they completed an accelerated overnight flight training course. By morning, each one graduated as an official stuffed animal pilot, complete with a certificate and pilot wings. These stuffies were brave flyers, to say the least!
Girls in Aviation Day
Last September, ACE hosted Girls in Aviation Day! The Florida Air Museum and Skylab Innovation Center were opened with many activities, guest speakers, and vendors for young women to walk through and learn more about aviation and STEM!
Lifting Literacy
The Florida Air Museum brought back the Lifting Literacy event this year! Students in Pre-K – 5th grades explored the world of reading and nursery rhymes through the magical lens of STEM. Thank you to our partners at YMCA of West Central Florida for breakfast and free books!
Wings ‘n Things
Every year, ACE showcases Wings ‘n Things, where kids of all ages can experience the wonders of aerospace through hands-on activities that range from building a wing rib to exploring flight through simulation, to constructing and testing your own balsa wood glider! We had over 800 in attendance!
Solo to Success
ACE celebrated the annual Solo to Success ceremony where we recognized 23 young men and women who have soloed an aircraft or glider over the past year! Many of the honorees are recipients of the James C. Ray Flight Training Scholarship.
Flight Before Christmas
Our 2nd annual Flight Before Christmas event at the Florida Air Museum was delightful and filled with Christmas cheer! Airplanes were the star of the show, as guests walked through a maze of twinkling lights and enjoyed warm apple cider, hot chocolate, and cookies. Best of all – kids took selfies with Santa!
North Pole Express: Air Mail Edition
Did you know we took trips to the North Pole to visit Santa? Six fully booked flights back and forth from the North Pole on the North Pole Express included listening to Ms. Jennilyn read The Polar Express and then boarding the Piedmont 727, where their golden ticket was stamped. The flight included caroling with one of Santa’s elves and creating a Christmas tree ornament; as soon as the flight landed, Santa greeted everyone on board! Everyone took selfies with Santa before returning to ACE where the families enjoyed cookies and hot chocolate!
