Aerium and its community partners are offering two opportunities for Pennsylvania high school and college students to pursue career interests in aviation, aerospace and entrepreneurship.
Applications for Aerium’s 2026-27 student scholarship program opened on Oct. 6 and will close on Jan. 31. Pennsylvania high school seniors who are graduating before Sept. 1, 2026, and post-secondary students without a bachelor’s degree who are enrolled in an accredited aviation-related program are eligible to apply.
The scholarship, valued at up to $4,000, must be used toward continuing education at an accredited aviation-related post-secondary program or for flight training at a Pennsylvania-based, FAA-approved Part 61 or 141 school. An application form is posted online at aerium.org/scholarships. Recipients will be announced in April 2026.
“This program turns innovation into opportunity,” said Glenn Ponas, executive director of Aerium, who mentioned the scholarship program during the Aerium Fall Summit 2025, held Oct. 6-8 in Johnstown in conjunction with the Aviation Council of Pennsylvania‘s 45th annual Pennsylvania Aviation Conference.
Pennsylvania high school and college students with an original idea that would benefit the aviation and unmanned aircraft industry are also invited to participate in PitchSummit 2026, a new statewide entrepreneurship contest.
“Itās going to connect young innovators with the resources they need to move from concept to prototype. We invite applicants with bold ideas in aviation and unmanned systems to compete for over $20,000 in cash and services,” Ponas said in announcing the contest.
Active high school and college students and recent graduates (2024 or later) are eligible to participate. Applications for PitchSummit 2026 open Oct. 31 at aerium.org/pitch and must be submitted by Feb. 15.
Finalists will have the opportunity to present their ideas at the Aerium Spring Summit on May 28, 2026, in Johnstown, Ponas said.
The PitchSummit entrepreneurship competition is sponsored by Aerium, the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and Ben Franklin Technology Partners.
