Youth from Oakland, San Leandro, and Alameda enjoyed hands-on aviation learning experiences
Oakland, Calif. – March 25, 2025: The Port of Oakland recently hosted its annual Oakland Aviation Day event at Oakland Airport (OAK). The event is a hands-on field trip designed to expose teens to a wide variety of careers in aviation. Participants included youth ages 13-18 from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oakland, San Leandro, and Alameda. The Port has hosted the Oakland Aviation Day event annually since 2016. This year’s event is the first to be held in person since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“OAK was proud to host the local Boys and Girls Club chapters this past weekend in partnership with all of the other participating organizations,” said Port of Oakland Director of Aviation Craig Simon. “There are many excellent careers to choose from within the aviation field that are in high-demand for workers. This event was a great opportunity for youth to gain exposure to some of those essential jobs at an airport.”
Partner organizations that hosted workshops included:
- Oakland Aviation Museum: museum tour
- College of Alameda: introduction to aviation maintenance mechanic career field
- Southwest Airlines: career presentation and flight simulator
- Kaiser Air and Signature Aviation: charter aircraft and hangar tour
- Oakland Fire Department: tour of Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Station
- Community Resources for Science: Forces of Flight lesson and paper airplane activity
This year’s Oakland Aviation Day was hosted by the Port of Oakland’s Social Responsibility Division, which engages with many groups throughout the East Bay community.
Click here to view photos of the event.
About Oakland Airport
Oakland Airport (OAK) is the main airport for the greater East Bay, the most populated area in the metropolitan San Francisco Bay area. It is the closest airport to most Bay Area employers. By roadway and BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) air-rail, OAK enables excellent access to all the region’s business, entertainment, and tourism venues. The vision of Oakland Airport is to be the airport of choice for San Francisco Bay Area residents and visitors alike. OAK is operated by the Port of Oakland, which also oversees the Oakland seaport and 20 miles of East Bay waterfront. Together with its business partners, the Port supports more than 98,000 jobs in the region with more than a $174 billion economic impact.
Updates about current departure and arrival information, airport maps, and details about on-airport parking, shopping and dining and more, can be found at www.oaklandairport.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Media Contact
Kaley Skantz – Airport Spokesperson, kskantz@portoakland.com