$30M to The Museum of Flight for STEM

The Boeing Company and Mrs. June Boeing, wife of the late William E. Boeing, Jr., announced today an unprecedented philanthropic partnership, each contributing $15 million to significantly expand science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education offered through The Museum of Flight. These generous investments will launch the Boeing Academy for STEM Learning, a vigorous, new STEM-focused education initiative that aims to double the number of students served by the Museum’s immersive programs over the next two years, particularly from communities underrepresented in STEM fields, and connect them to fulfilling, in-demand jobs.

“This is an opportunity to invest in our children and in our region’s future economic health and growth,” said Ray Conner, president and CEO, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Boeing is committed to serving underrepresented areas of the community and we are proud to partner with The Museum of Flight to help inspire students to reach new heights.”
Washington state leads in creating STEM jobs, but by 2017 an estimated 45,000 STEM jobs in Washington will go unfulfilled due to lack of qualified candidates, according to Washington STEM, a non-profit organization advocating for increased investment in STEM education.

In addition, the $15 million investment from Mr. and Mrs. William E. Boeing Jr., set in motion before Mr. Boeing passed away this past January, will also be used to deepen educational impact and facilitate long-term preservation and exhibition of the artifacts, enhanced guest satisfaction and prolonged operational sustainability at the Museum.

“When it came to The Museum of Flight, Bill cared about everything — the collections, the visitors, the youth and the financial health of the institution,” said Mrs. Boeing. “He was delighted that our support would honor the past, while today’s Boeing would ensure a robust future for children, regardless of economic means.”

“This year marks our 50th year of preserving air and space history and providing educational programs to our community,” said Doug King, President and CEO of The Museum of Flight. “Our museum has become a learning laboratory for children of all ages. The Museum has ambitious plans ahead to deliver a deeper educational and economic impact for our region. With this combined $30 million contribution from The Boeing Company and Mr. and Mrs. William E. Boeing Jr., we’ve been launched on our way towards transforming our museum, our educational mission and the community we serve.”

The Museum provides STEM education programming for students from pre-kindergarten through high school and is home to Highline Public Schools’ Raisbeck Aviation High School (RAHS), which has a curriculum focused on engineering and science. RAHS received gold status recognition from U.S. News & World Report in 2015, ranking as the 6th top performing school in Washington state and 252nd out of more than 32,000 high schools surveyed nationwide.

“‘Inspiration begins here!’ is a statement we like to use at the Museum. Over the past several years, we’ve been able to share our programs and inspiration with students throughout the state, across the country and around the world,” said King. “Just imagine what these incredibly generous investments will help us do in the years to come.”