Women In Aviation’s (WAI) Girls in Aviation Day 2019 drew a cumulative 20,000 attendees at 118 events worldwide last weekend. Held on Saturday in 18 countries in North America, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, the events introduced girls to career and lifestyle possibilities in aviation and aerospace.

Industry leaders were on hand to meet attendees and participate in career panels. In addition, attendees were able to explore airplanes and airports and participate in a range of hands-on activities, from a sectional chart treasure hunt to making jewelry using A&P tools.

“Our primary goal is to introduce girls ages eight to 17 to all the career opportunities aviation and aerospace offer,” said WAI outreach director Molly Martin. “We go beyond piloting careers to include air traffic controllers, mechanics, engineers, technicians, and designers.”

As an example, Martin noted one girl had said she wanted to design aircraft interiors as her career. “That’s a career she would never have even known of, much less considered, without Girls in Aviation Day,” she added.