Women in Aviation International’s (WAI) 6th Annual Girls in Aviation Day (GIAD) has reached its most expansive draw yet with thousands of participants from at least 55 countries tuning into this year’s festivities virtually. Kicked off September 26 with the launch of a new U.S. Air Force-sponsored Aviation for Girls app, the event went online this year with many of the activities available year-round for free.

“Our goal in delivering a virtual experience for this year’s Girls in Aviation Day was to extend our reach and inspire girls—no matter where they live or learn,” said WAI CEO Allison McKay. “Last year, our in-person events reached girls in 18 countries. This year, the app has already tripled our reach and connected with girls all around the world providing them with access to hours of inspiring content to expand their knowledge about all the opportunities in aviation and aerospace.”

The GIAD app enables participants to explore and engage when it’s convenient to them, said Molly Martin, outreach director for WAI. Since this year's events are not limited by the location of WAI chapters or corporate members, WAI virtual could reach the globe in places where the events had in past such as Cameroon, Canada, and India, as well as those they hadn’t yet, such as Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia.

GIAD already has drawn participants from those and other countries ranging from Argentina, Bolivia, and Venezuela, to Cape Verde, Zambia, Botswana, Rwanda, Egypt, Syria, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Serbia, Poland, Finland, and Uzbekistan, among many others. All content is available in English, but some also is translated into French and Spanish.

On the launch day several “live events” took place to celebrate the event, but activities and content are anticipated to be added throughout the year to keep the participants engaged.

The content includes video interviews with women from all over the world showcasing the varied professions. “We’ve always followed the thought that ‘if you can see it, you can be it,’” Martin said.

Other content includes virtual tours of airports, museums, and other locations, flight simulations, book readings, interviews with scholarship winners, and numerous hands-on activities. Digital versions of Aviation for Girls magazine are also available.