Culminating a multi-year community-led campaign, Oakland Community Organizations joined with the College of Alameda, the Port of Oakland, the Western Aerospace Museum (WAM) and other community partners to inaugurate Oakland Aviation High School (OAHS) on Sunday, March 26. Prospective students received key information on the aviation field from a host of supporters, including Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, Continental, and FedEx. Guest speakers included Tuskegee Airman Sam Broadnaux,Chancellor of the Peralta Colleges and former mayor of Oakland, Elihu Harris. The milestone event celebrated the approval of OAHS as a new charter school whose motto is Education for a Sustainable Future.

The new school will be housed at Oakland International Airport's North Field. Oakland Aviation High School is scheduled to officially open its doors in August of 2006, to 100 ninth grade students. The mission of the OAHS is to serve the diverse population of Oakland and its neighboring communities by providing a rigorous educational program that prepares students for success in college, as well as develop technical skills and personal qualities necessary for a successful career in aviation and business.