Raisbeck Aviation High School touches down at The Museum of Flight

We have liftoff!

Yesterday, Oct. 17, Raisbeck Aviation High School (RAHS) celebrated its Grand Opening in truly impressive fashion.

The morning's festivities commenced when an Alaska Airlines 737-900ER dubbed "Spirit of Education" delivered over 100 students and honored guests to The Museum of Flight.  Among the students on the plane was RAHS junior Alyda Sorm, who, until yesterday, had never flown in an airplane (she's pictured on the right with Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden and the crew from yesterday's flight).

As they exited the plane, passengers were greeted by a crowd of nearly 600 RAHS students, alumni, parents and invited guests,
including Museum of Flight CEO Doug King.

Raisbeck Aviation High School's partnership with The Museum of Flight is part of what makes the school so unique.  The only college preparatory aviation-themed school in the country, RAHS offers students access to both The Museum's archives and exhibits, as well as the opportunity to meet and interact with Museum staff and volunteers.  The high school's new location on campus at The Museum of Flight creates a space in which students need only look out the window for inspiration; imagine watching a plane take off just outside your classroom as you listen to a presentation on aerodynamics - to say it is an incredibly inspiring environment is a gross understatement.

In addition to providing access to The Museum and its resources, RAHS' new location is also in close proximity to over 200 aviation and aerospace businesses that surround Boeing Field.  Students have internships with many of the school's new neighbors, including companies like Boeing, Planetary Resources and the FAA.

Raisbeck Aviation High School is a school unlike any other - its commitment to providing the highest caliber science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to its students reflects a commitment to both cultivating the next generation of aviation and aerospace leaders and, in turn, ensuring the Puget Sound region remains competitive in STEM-related industry markets.

One of yesterday's speakers referred to RAHS as a "little school with a big engine."  Serving roughly 400 students grades 9-12, RAHS is a truly remarkable place where high schoolers come together to share their passions, study the latest developments in STEM fields and enjoy a high school experience unlike any other.

Each of the speakers in yesterday's Grand Opening program lauded RAHS Principal and CEO Reba Gilman for her vision and leadership in securing Raisbeck Aviation High School's new home.  The program included remarks from Gilman, Museum of Flight President and CEO Doug King, as well as Governor Jay Inslee, Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes Ray Conner - the three of whom graduated from Highline Public Schools, the district of which RAHS is a part.

Yesterday's celebration marked the culmination of years of hard work and dedication on the part of RAHS' board, The Museum of Flight and the numerous donors who made the school's brand new $43.5 million facility possible.

We at The Keller Group are incredibly thankful to have been afforded the opportunity to work with Raisbeck Aviation High School and The Museum of Flight and cannot wait to see what RAHS students achieve in the years to come!

Welcome home, Raisbeck Aviation High School; always remember, the sky is NOT the limit!

Know where Seattle's AEDs are located? You could win $10,000!

This month, Seattleites can join in a life-saving scavenger hunt.

From Oct. 15-Nov. 15, local residents will compete to identify and report the locations of Seattle’s automatic external defibrillators (AEDs).  With cash prizes ranging from $50 to $10,000, this is definitely one scavenger hunt we’re eager to get started!

AEDs are electronic, brief-case size devices designed to allow bystanders to help someone who has collapsed as a result of cardiac arrest.  Often, cardiac arrest is due to ventricular fibrillation (VF); AEDs simplify analysis of heart rhythm so lay persons can recognize and treat VF before the arrival of emergency medical services providers.  Each device has voice and visual prompts that guide bystanders through the steps necessary to help someone with a medical emergency.

AEDs are cost-effective lifesavers that are often located in places where cardiac arrests are most likely to occur, such as airports, sports clubs and shopping malls.  There are now more than 1.2 million AEDs in public places across the United States, and roughly 180,000 more are installed each year.

But what happens if a bystander can’t locate the nearest AED during an emergency? That’s a concern the My HeartMap Seattle Challenge is hoping to address.  According to Dr. Graham Nichol, University of Washington professor of medicine and Medic One Foundation Endowed Chair for Pre-Hospital Emergency Care at UW Medicine’s Harborview Medical Center, “Our list of AED locations may be incomplete.  We are seeking the public’s help to learn where more of these devices are.”

To register to participate in My HeartMap Seattle Challenge, click here and follow the link to My HeartMap Seattle Registration.  Then, starting Oct. 15, each time you locate an AED in Seattle, report a brief description of the AED and its location on the contest website.  The team or individual that identifies the most unique AEDs will be awarded a $10,000 grand prize.  Additionally, 20 $50 prizes are available; twenty AEDs in the city of Seattle have been pre-selected as “Golden AEDs.”  Be the first to locate and report one of these specially designated devices and win $50!

Just over one week to get your team ready – on your mark, get set, go!