Adopt-A-Pilot®
Welcome to Adopt-A-Pilot
The Southwest® Adopt-A-Pilot (AAP) Program has inspired thousands of fifth-grade students across the country through fun, STEM-centered activities, and experiments since 1997. The program connects Southwest Pilots with classrooms to engage students in fun, aviation-related lessons that define a plan for future success and spark an interest in careers in aviation.

It's very gratifying to build the children’s confidence to believe in themselves, choose their goals, and have the tenacity to achieve their dreams. At the same time, I emphasize being kind, grateful, and honest. Real-world experience helps spark their math, science, and geography from a rote level to a correlation level of learning.
I love giving back; through listening and engaging with the children and I often gain more from them!
- Nancy Martin-Belitz, Southwest Airlines Pilot and Adopt-A-Pilot Ambassador
How Adopt-A-Pilot Works
Each school year, students in more than 1,500 classrooms across the country will “adopt” Southwest’s Pilots, giving our passionate aviators opportunities to mentor students in and around the fifth-grade level. As part of the Adopt-A-Pilot Program, students will also research careers and further develop life skills, while the importance of staying in school is reinforced along with the importance of life values. Southwest is pleased to offer these opportunities at no cost to participating schools.
How to Participate
Thank you for your interest in the Adopt-A-Pilot Program. Registration is now open. Teachers may submit a request for an AAP class using the link below.
Teacher RegistrationPlease note: We do our best to match Pilots with interested schools. Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee that we will have an available Pilot in your community. If we cannot provide a Pilot, please feel free to use the curriculum and resources available to engage your students in STEM-centered activities and fun aviation-related lessons and videos. We’d love to see you back next year!
If you have questions, please email the Adopt-a-Pilot Crew at adoptapilot@wnco.com.
We are looking forward to another great year!
Curriculum & Educational Resources
Classroom Videos
Adopt-A-Pilot in the classroom
This video introduces the Adopt-A-Pilot Program, helps Pilots connect with the students, and provides an overview of what students will learn.
Watch the video.
Curriculum
- Game 1: Ding
- Game 2: Paper Airplane Contest
- Instructions
- Folding Instructions
- Paper Airplane - Basic
- Paper Airplane - Bulldog
- Paper Airplane - Classic Dart.
- Game 3: Bingo
- Addendum includes:
- A mileage chart between Southwest Airlines cities
- A list of cities and airport codes
- A Southwest Airlines route map
- Tie Handout
- Teacher Certificate
- Completion Certificate
- Coloring Book
Educational Resources
Expand your mind, jump into online activities, and explore the wild blue yonder with these exciting “Continue to Learn” resources. You can find supplements to the Adopt-A-Pilot curriculum, click on great educational links, learn about Adopt-A-Pilot online, and more.
- Women in Aviation
- Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP)
- Professional Asian Pilots Association (PAPA)
- Southwest K-12 Resources - Learn about the various careers at Southwest Airlines.
- Destination 225° - Learn about the various pathways to become a Southwest Airlines Pilot.
- Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)
- A great site if you want to become a pilot.
Need more info?
View the full list of Adopt-A-Pilot Q&As in our Help Center.
The Southwest Airlines One Report
Explore our annual corporate social responsibility report, the Southwest Airlines One Report. This integrated citizenship report covers significant social, economic, and environmental stories, as well as data tables, and reporting frameworks, all through the lens of corporate Citizenship. Our disclosures are informed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).