Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Saint Francis University Opens Aviation Education Center

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/05/24

Saint Francis University in Loretto, Penn., recently held a Blessing and Dedication ceremony for its new Aviation Education Center at the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport, according to a news release. The building’s opening coincides with the inaugural year of the university’s FAA-certified Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) program. The program’s goal is to boost regional workforce development in the aviation vertical.

“The FAA certification and this state-of-the-art facility represent significant achievements for both Saint Francis University and the regional community,” said university president Fr. Malachi Van Tassell, TOR. “We are eager to support critical workforce development through our partnerships and the Aviation Education Center.”

The Aviation Education Center will play home to the school’s aviation education and training programs. The new AMT program is the only FAA Part 147 aviation maintenance technician school in the county, the news release reports, and addresses the local and national need for maintenance workers.

Local news reports that the space currently provides a hangar converted into a classroom, a single-propeller aircraft, and a 1,500-pound CF34 jet engine. Funding came from a $500,000 state grant, $1 million in Appalachian Regional Commission funds, and $70,000 from Cambria County for the facility’s structural needs.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey

    Spaces4Learning recently launched the 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey, which collects data on the previous year’s K–12 and higher education construction projects nationwide.

  • Colorado School District Breaks Ground on Unified PK–12 Campus

    The Haxtun School District No. Re-2J in Haxtun, Colo., recently announced that ground has been broken on a renovation/addition project that will unite its two schools, Haxtun Elementary and Haxtun Jr/Sr High School, according to a news release.

  • Arlington High School

    Arlington High School

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Arlington High School has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.