A new charter high school focusing on aviation and aerospace is set to open in Birmingham in 2022, according to a release from the organization on Monday.

The school, named the Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High School (AAAHS), will be free to students interested in its mission of educating the aviation and aerospace leaders of tomorrow.

It will be built on the campus of the Southern Museum of Flight on 73rd Street North in the Magic City.

AAAHS was founded by Ruben Morris, a Birmingham native and lifelong educator with a specialty in competency-based schooling.

Morris says the school he leads is going to have an “industry-focused approach to instruction.”

“AAAHS students also develop complex technical skills through real-world learning opportunities facilitated by industry professionals in the workplace. We prepare students to be successful in college, the military and the larger aerospace, defense and aviation industry,” he relayed in a statement.

The school will serve students in grades 9-12 from across the Birmingham metropolitan area. Students currently in 7th grade will be eligible for the school’s first class of freshmen.

AAAHS will focus on recruiting a “racially, socioeconomically and gender-diverse” pool of students, per a release.

“We want to leverage Alabama’s existing leadership role in the aviation and aerospace industries to create the next generation of leaders and innovators,” Morris said about his school’s future student body.

More information on the school is available here.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95