Aurora Flight Sciences’ West Virginia facility connects with students in the local community through learning experiences that inspire students to think big and reach for the skies.

“We take a lot of pride in the strong community feel our team members have built here,” said Scott Jones, senior manufacturing operations manager at Aurora West Virginia. “Our team actively supports local outreach initiatives and makes it a priority to hire talent from the surrounding area. It’s important that we give back to and grow with the community that supports us.”

Hands-on Education

Our outreach program gives students the chance to gain hands-on experience and explore careers in aerospace and engineering.

“We’ve built long-lasting relationships with local schools, colleges, and organizations by offering hands-on experiences that show students what’s possible,” said Paige Skaggs, manufacturing operations analyst. “When students see the work happening here, they start to imagine themselves in these roles — and that’s where the spark happens.”

Our collaboration with the West Virginia Manufacturing Association Educational Fund supports Explore the New Manufacturing, a program that encourages high school students to use critical thinking and manufacturing skills to help solve challenges in the industry. This year, Aurora is paired with the Marion County Technical Center (MCTC).

Scott Jones, senior manufacturing operations manager at Aurora West Virginia, led the site tour for the group of MCTC students.

“Partnering with Aurora has been phenomenal,” said Kevin Morris, MCTC aerospace engineering instructor. “Our students were able to take a tour of Aurora’s state-of-the-art Bridgeport facility where they were presented with a real-world challenge that needed a solution.”

The challenge: create an ergonomic, safe way to store, organize, and keep track of the tools used in a particular assembly process. In February, the students presented their final engineering design solution for a custom mobile tooling rack, allowing technicians to work safely and efficiently.

Several Aurora employees, including Jones, Mark Richman, Ben Twiest, and Elliot Prinzo, supported the team throughout the project, providing technical guidance and expertise. While the engineering design is complete, the build is slated to take place during the 2025-2026 school year.

Previous partnerships through the Explore program include the United Technical Center (UTC) in Clarksburg, WV. UTC students designed, built, and delivered a ruddervator storage rack to safely store complete assemblies during the manufacturing process.

Student Visits and Events

Throughout the year, students pursuing education in STEM or aerospace manufacturing visit Aurora for a behind-the-scenes look at real-world applications of the concepts they learn in the classroom.

Students get an up-close look at our Flexible Robotic Composites Manufacturing Cell (FRCMC), an advanced machining and inspection technology that supports a wide range of manufacturing processes.

“Seeing the enthusiasm and curiosity of students during their visits is truly inspiring,” said Skaggs. “Our team is always excited to share our knowledge and experience with the next generation of engineers. From technology demonstrations to conversations with our employees, students explore different types of automation and technology utilized in the aerospace industry.”

Employees also participate in a variety of local STEM-related events, from school science nights to rocketry and drone competitions. Employees volunteer their time to support NASA and Fairmont State University in robotics programs such as the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF) Aerial Drone Dragonfly Championship, which provides hands-on, student-centered learning. During the event, students learn about flight principles, programming, coding for autonomous flight, and engineering. Teams are then paired in alliances, working together to achieve the highest score possible while building both technical and collaboration skills.

Project Materials

Aurora also supports local universities with material donations and volunteer time. Most recently, we donated over 4,000 sq. ft. of fiberglass to the West Virginia University (WVU) Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering. Students will use the material for projects including rovers for the University Rover Challenge, vehicles for the school’s Formula SAE® and Baja SAE® competitions, and rockets for the school’s experimental rocketry club.

Last year, Aurora employees assisted members of WVU’s rocketry team in painting the team’s rocket for the 2024 Spaceport America Cup.

“We have a longstanding relationship with the WVU rocketry team, and it’s always inspiring to see the students’ dedication and innovation firsthand,” said Jones. “We have several employees who volunteer their time each year to provide guidance and help the students paint their competition rocket. The students gain hands-on experience with tools and technologies they’ll encounter in real-world careers, and it’s rewarding to know we’re contributing to that growth.”