2024 Grant Spotlight: National Aviation Hall of Fame
The Joe Clark Innovation Lab.
The National Aviation Heritage Area (NAHA) is proud to support projects that preserve and celebrate the rich aviation heritage of our region. Since opening its first grant program in 2019, NAHA has granted over $537,295 dollars to its partner organizations and other non-profits in the heritage area’s eight-county region. These grants have gone towards 68 incredible projects with a wide variety of important goals, from strengthening the region’s aviation education programs, to supporting historic aircraft maintenance, backing integral facility enhancements, and more. These projects all align with NAHA’s mission to preserve the heritage area’s assets and promote the future of aerospace. To celebrate the incredible impact of these grants and showcase the work of our partners, NAHA will highlight some recently funded projects in this space.
As part of its pilot Large Competitive Grant cycle in 2024, NAHA awarded the National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) a grant to help transform their Heritage Hall and Education Center into a hub for STEAM education: The Joe Clark Innovation Lab. This lab is a 1,600 square foot aviation education center for visitors to engage in hands-on activities such as the Design Studio, where students can use incredible new technologies such as 3D printers and scanners to research, design, and create, the Aviation Petting Zoo, a collection of aviation objects for visitors to feel, a Hackeronics Lab, where visitors can take apart pieces of technology to learn how they work, and the Idea Pad, perfect for small groups to read or sketch their ideas on a glass dry-erase wall. In addition to these engaging features, the Innovation Lab hosts a variety of STEAM-based events, including Science Saturdays, a day of free science and aviation activities on the third Saturday of every month and special events such as aviation-themed classes, adult maker nights, summer camps, and even birthday parties.
The National Aviation Hall of Fame has seen many significant positive outcomes as a result of receiving a Large Grant from NAHA to open and fill the Joe Clark Innovation Lab. From an enhanced visitor experience in the engaging and accessible new environment to improved facilities infrastructure and enhanced educational program, this project is ensuring the National Aviation Hall of Fame meets their mission to create a distinctive educational resource that will inspire future generations to appreciate our nation’s aviation heritage. NAHA is honored to have been apart of this inspiring project and is excited to see how members of the community continue to enjoy, engage, and learn at the Joe Clark Innovation Lab. By supporting initiatives like this, NAHA underscores its commitment to fostering innovation and education within our region’s aviation heritage community.
To learn more about visiting the National Aviation Hall of Fame, including the incredible Joe Clark Innovation Lab, click here.
For more information on NAHA’s grant programs, including the Large Competitive Grant program, click here.
