A Classroom on a Jet Plane: KA Sponsors First Responder Camp
By Brenden Nickels, Senior Office Assistant
Learning in a regular classroom may not always be the best way to get a hands-on education. Sometimes, a creative approach can also be effective. At the St. Paul Downtown Airport, there is now a special classroom where STEM students can learn in a new and innovative setting.
The Learning Jet is a renovated Boeing 727-200 jet which has become a place for middle school and high school students to learn STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) skills, promote careers in transportation, especially to women and minorities, and to introduce transportation lessons into Minnesota schools.
Kraus-Anderson got involved with The Learning Jet in 2016 when one of their board members, Dr. Patrick Zimmerman of 3M, contacted Retired Project Manager Doug Jaeger with guidance for a retrofit in the hanger into a classroom.
“KA has completed many projects in the Aviation world, and this was just another buildout, until I met some of the Leadership of the organization, and how much passion they had for their mission,” said Jaeger. “My oldest brother is a pilot, and retired from Continental Airlines as a captain, and I thought that was cool, and I wanted to be able to share that story with others.”
According to Jaeger, some things he’s excited to see are students excited to see the jet and getting a chance to walk through it and sit behind the instrument panel, understanding lift using paper airplanes, and how much math goes into setting up a flight plan.
Every July, The Learning Jet holds a First Responders Camp for those ages 15 to 20 who might be interested in first response careers, such as a police officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician, or a paramedic. The students who enroll get to experience what these types of careers are like by meeting first responders, taking tours of their facilities, and learning what equipment they use, and how it works.
KA is proud to sponsor the 2026 First Responder Camp. Other participating organizations include the St. Paul Police and Fire Departments, the Minnesota State Patrol, the MSP Airport Fire Department, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Water Patrol, and Sun Country Airlines.
Jaeger also notes that what the Learning Jet is doing is instructing the future of the aviation industry, even if just showing how flight works, or what jobs are available.
“Most people take air travel in their lives for granted, but the people on the ground and behind the scenes are who keep it going,” Jaeger said.
CATEGORY: Construction