Airbus and FlightWorks Alabama have teamed up to create a new career-tech program, which is entering some Alabama elementary schools this fall.

The “We WILL Build It Better” curriculum, created by educators and industry professionals, immerses students in a STEAM setting.

Elementary schools in Alabama’s Mobile, Baldwin, and Cullman counties will be among the first to implement the brand-new STEAM-based career-tech program.

The curriculum builds upon an existing middle school program, which also launched in Mobile and Baldwin counties in 2021.

It is currently available to over 40,000 students in 16 states across the United States and the United Kingdom, according to a news release

We WILL Build It Better was for elementary school children by Flight Works Alabama, Airbus, Amazon Web Services, Snap-on Tools and the Thompson Engineering Foundation.

“We have learned from We Build It Better being implemented in middle school classrooms that this program is having positive impacts on absenteeism, conflict management and resolution, and higher test scores in other courses—specifically math,” said Michelle Hurdle, president of Flight Works Alabama. “It is the social impacts and soft-skill developments in these students’ lives that we are most excited about for our future workforce.”

Robert E. Lee Elementary School, Saraland Elementary School, Chickasaw Elementary School, Eichold Mertz Magnet School, Robertsdale Elementary School, Orange Beach Elementary School, and Gulf Shores Elementary School are among the Mobile and Baldwin County schools that are using the program.

Even though the program is only now getting started in October 2023, by the end of this year it should be implemented in 77 schools spread over more than seven states in the US and the UK, according to a news release.

“We WILL Build It Better launches career tech into elementary-aged students. They are able to experience what many students don’t get to experience until the middle school or high school levels. It gives them insight into what career tech is,” said Sara LeCroy, curriculum writer for We WILL Build It Better.