I need your help!

Over the last year I have been attempting to respond to a personal call to action in the development of a new
experiental learning program, the Phoenix Arising Academy of Aviation. The mission of Phoenix is to
encourage youth and adults to explore new ways of serving and impacting their community by exploring the
richness of aviation and the many disciplines it touches. Our focus is not to develop pilots, but to develop a
new generation of advocates, enthusiasts and leaders who recognize how they can impact others through their
interests in aviation, engineering and the sciences.

The development of Phoenix practically began in March of 2008, but in reality has been a seed growing for
many, many years. Last year it burst forth from the ashes of change in my own life and a renewed vision of our
call to encourage, inspire and motivate others. So many doors have been opened since this journey began, and
so many opportunities are simply waiting to spring into action, that I find that I am becoming the bottleneck to
taking things to the next level. Thus, this is my call for help.

I have not frequently sought the help of others, either family or friends, even in difficult times. - a lesson learned
too hard over the last several years. Therefore, as I ask for help, I ask because this cannot be done alone and
because I truly believe that Phoenix has the potential to impact many people in many different ways.

The concept, curriculum and business plan for Phoenix have been evolving and in development over the last 12
months and has reached the point where it must emerge and move onto the next level.

About Phoenix Arising

Phoenix already exists as an independent non-profit Texas corporation. Our values, program and next steps are
as follows:

Core Values

We believe everyone has something that they truly feel passionate about. Too often, it is late in life before many
people realize or are given the opportunity to explore their own innate interests - particularly in areas with a
high barrier to entry such as aviation, engineering and the sciences. We intend to break down these barriers by
generally making available hands-on mentor-led personal experiences that share the richness and potential for
community and social impact inherent in these disciplines.

Program Offering.

Phoenix will be offering a program consisting of five components.

1. Take Flight Afterschool Program
2. Take Flight Pilots Club
3. Take Flight Summer Academy
4. Builders Workshop
5. Educational, Career and Service Counseling
Take Flight Afterschool Program
The Take Flight Afterschool Program is a co-curricular program of study which will provide an introduction to
aviation with a traditional ground-school course of study, delivered in a non-traditional way as guided hands-on
learning activities. The program will be offered free to local students. Students must be sponsored into the
program by a teacher, principal, parent or guardian.

Take Flight Pilots Club

The Take Flight Pilots Club will take students from theory to practice as they build confidence, decision making
abilities and communication skills by learning the basic skills required to pilot a plane. We will acquire a full-
motion Flight Simulator as the centerpiece for the Take Flight Pilots Club. This simulator will leverage
advances in simulation and aviation technology to achieve a high level of proficiency, at a significantly reduced
operating cost to traditional flight training programs. This will be a major factor in reducing the barriers to
pursuing an interest in aviation and will also be a segue for exposing students to computer graphics, mechanical
engineering and industrial engineering. Additionally, simulator training results in significantly higher safety
levels and an increased ability to challenge the students in ways not possible in an actual aircraft. The Pilots
Club will also be the key to our adult outreach programs, in which we will seek to invite adults to explore
interests in aviation and community service. We will encourage teenagers and adults alike to follow
introductory flights in actual aircraft with reduced cost simulator sessions where they can practice basic skills.
Finally, the Pilots Club will enable licensed pilots to develop and maintain proficiency and increase general
flight safety while also offering the chance to interact as a community with students and others new to aviation.

Take Flight Summer Academy

The Take Flight Summer Academy will be an immersive program of study, concentrating elements of the Take
Flight Afterschool Program and The Take Flight Pilots Club into a concentrated non-residential summer
program delivered over a period of two weeks. In Year 3 we will acquire one aircraft and extend the Summer
Academy to four weeks, offering the students the opportunity to complete their Sport Pilot license over the
course of the program.

Builders Workshop
The Builders Workshop will engage students in the techniques used to fabricate modern aircraft to the
completion of actual functional part. We will be partnering with an innovative program, the Sonex Aircraft
Education Initiative, to take students to the point where they realize that they have the potential to achieve
something as complex and seemingly unachievable as building an aircraft. The Builders Workshop will be a 2-
day workshop offered to students already enrolled in the Afterschool Program and Pilots Club, but also
available to sponsored students who are not yet enrolled in other Phoenix programs.

Educational, Career and Service Counseling

Phoenix intends not only to help students explore their interests, but to guide them on their next steps as well.
We will offer a resource center to offer assistance to anyone with the slightest interest in pursuing aviation,
engineering and related disciplines. We will offer educational resources for scholarship opportunities, courses
of study, degree and non-degree programs. We will offer career resources exploring the different career paths
available in these disciplines. And we will offer community service counseling to explore opportunities for
community service and social impact through ones interest in these disciplines.

Next Steps:

1. Complete IRS 501c3 Certification

We cannot seek any significant fundraising without having tax-exempt status from the IRS. The paperwork has
been professionally completed and reviewed, and simply needs to be updated and submitted with the $750.00
user fee in order to be processed by the IRS.

2. Complete Business Plan

We have completed a major portion of the business plan, but need help on the marketing strategy and financials.

3. Develop Fundraising Materials (Brochures and Donation Materials)

4. Begin Full Scale Fundraising Efforts

We will initially be seeking contributions from aviation and engineering advocacy organizations, local
businesses and possibly exploring some grant opportunities.

5. Partner with existing aviation and engineering advocay organizations.

We will partner with AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association), EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association),
the EAA Young Eagles, Jeppesen, ASA and Sporty's to sponsor instructional materials for the Take Flight
Afterschool Program. All of the learning materials we will need are available through these existing advocacy
organizations and outreach programs. We will consolidate these materials and develop partnerships to support
these programs and organizations.

6. Begin enrolling students into The Take Flight Afterschool Program.

Our goal is to enroll 40 students through Winter of 2009.

7. Establish the Take Flight Pilots Club

8. Offer the Builders Workshop in Summer of 2010

Fundraising Efforts

Four Rounds of Fund Raising

Phase 1. Startup
Complete IRS 501c(3) Certification
Goal: $750.00

Phase 2. The Take Flight Afterschool Program

Acquire learning materials required for the first semester of the AfterSchool Program. Materials will be re-used
for subsequent semesters.
Goal: $1,400

Phase 3. The Take Flight Pilots Club

Acquire the full-motion flight simulator, insurance and a site
Goal: $18,000.00

Phase 4. The Take Flight Summer Flight Academy and Builders Workshop
Offer a concentrated program of study in a two-week non-residential summer program.
Goal: $30,000.00
WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP

1. RAISING $750.00 TO COMPLETE APPLICATION FOR IRS TAX-EXEMPT STATUS

2. BUSINESS PLAN DEVELOPMENT (REVIEW, DEVELOPMENT OF MARKETING STRATEGY AND
FINANCIALS)
3. DEVELOPMENT OF FUNDRAISING MATERIALS
4. SEARCHING FOR GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
5. WEB SITE (DEVELOPMENT, DESIGN, SUPPORT)

Background and Resources

EAA Young Eagles

[Link]
A very active youth advocacy program

Sporty's Young Eagles Online Ground School

[Link]
The online ground school curriculum we intend to partner with

Sportys's Foundation
[Link]
A very active aviation advocacy organization

Sonex Education Initiative

[Link]
An educational initiative based upon aircraft construction

Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum

[Link]
An incredible example of how aviation is being used for social impact and community outreach already

Experience Aviation
[Link]
Another incredible story of how aviation touched one life that is now touching many others

Redbird Flight Simulations

[Link]
The flight simulator we will be using for the Take Flight Pilots Club

Build-A-Plane
[Link]
A foundation dedicated to introducing young people to aviation and aerospace through building aircraft

Wolf Aviation Fund

[Link]
A philanthropic organization devoted to aviation advocacy and support