Youth from Oakland, San Leandro, and Alameda enjoyed hands-on aviation learning experiences
Oakland, Calif. – March 25, 2025: The Port of Oakland recently hosted its annual Oakland Aviation Day event at Oakland Airport (OAK). The event is a hands-on field trip designed to expose teens to a wide variety of careers in aviation. Participants included youth ages 13-18 from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oakland, San Leandro, and Alameda. The Port has hosted the Oakland Aviation Day event annually since 2016. This year’s event is the first to be held in person since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“OAK was proud to host the local Boys and Girls Club chapters this past weekend in partnership with all of the other participating organizations,” said Port of Oakland Director of Aviation Craig Simon. “There are many excellent careers to choose from within the aviation field that are in high-demand for workers. This event was a great opportunity for youth to gain exposure to some of those essential jobs at an airport.”
Partner organizations that hosted workshops included:
- Oakland Aviation Museum: museum tour
- College of Alameda: introduction to aviation maintenance mechanic career field
- Southwest Airlines: career presentation and flight simulator
- Kaiser Air and Signature Aviation: charter aircraft and hangar tour
- Oakland Fire Department: tour of Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Station
- Community Resources for Science: Forces of Flight lesson and paper airplane activity
This year’s Oakland Aviation Day was hosted by the Port of Oakland’s Social Responsibility Division, which engages with many groups throughout the East Bay community.