Students and young adults participate in a Powerful Young Adults Inc. program session in Clearwater’s North Greenwood community. The organization provides mentorship, job training, and career development opportunities for youth and transitioning adults across the Tampa Bay region. Since 2005, the program has helped hundreds of participants build skills and pursue meaningful career pathways. Image retrieved from PYA Inc website.
In Clearwater’s North Greenwood community, opportunity is taking flight in a way few could have imagined two decades ago.
Since 2005, Powerful Young Adults Inc. has worked to equip at-risk and underserved youth with mentorship, job training, and access to real career pathways. What began as a community-driven effort to support young adults has grown into a pipeline that has helped more than 800 participants across Clearwater and Tampa Bay step into meaningful careers. Today, its alumni include doctors, nurses, lawyers, fraud investigators, HR analysts, business owners, and community leaders who once sat in the same classrooms the organization now fills.
Now, that mission is expanding skyward.
Through its Skymaster Program, Powerful Young Adults Inc. is combining artificial intelligence training, aviation fundamentals, and workforce development to prepare young people and transitioning adults for careers in emerging industries. Meeting at the North Greenwood Aquatic Center from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the program serves youth ages 14 to 25 and adults up to age 35, including military veterans from across the Tampa Bay region who are transitioning into civilian careers.
This initiative is hands-on STEM education where participants train under a licensed pilot using DJI drones and professional-grade flight simulators. The program’s aviation and drone instruction is led by Earl Johnson, who works closely with students as they build both technical skills and confidence in real flight environments. Participants earn their FAA Recreational Drone Certificate and have the opportunity to prepare for and take the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Exam, allowing them to operate drones commercially.
Katrina George, program director, says the decision to expand the Skymaster Program into aviation and artificial intelligence was shaped by her own experience growing up in Clearwater’s North Greenwood community.
“I understood what it felt like to see opportunity but not have access,” George said. “Aviation, drone systems, and artificial intelligence offer career pathways that are scalable and not limited by geography. By introducing students to drone certification, flight simulation, aviation fundamentals, and AI literacy, we are preparing them not only for current workforce needs but for the next generation of aerospace innovation.”
FAA Part 107 certification opens the door to industries that are rapidly growing and increasingly reliant on drone technology. Construction firms use drones for site mapping. Real estate professionals rely on aerial imaging. Agriculture, infrastructure maintenance, law enforcement, and public safety agencies are also expanding their use of unmanned aircraft systems. Entry-level aviation-related careers can range from 50,000 to 80,000 dollars annually, creating tangible economic mobility for participants.
While last year’s STEM programming emphasized AI training and computer coding, Powerful Young Adults Inc. has consistently provided job readiness preparation, resume development, and direct employment connections through its Career Expo initiatives. Recently, the organization assisted four students with employment placement. Three secured positions with Publix, and one began working with Home Depot.
George states the program is designed to ensure students leave with skills that translate into real opportunity.
“Economic empowerment means that students leave the program with skills that translate into real opportunity and income potential,” George said. “Students gain hands-on drone flight experience using DJI equipment and learn how to use artificial intelligence responsibly for business planning, academic advancement, and technical research. These tools give them a competitive advantage in both school and entrepreneurship.”
The next Youth Career Expo and Job Fair is scheduled for June 6, with the location to be announced. The event will offer resume writing support and connect youth and job seekers directly with Clearwater area employers.
For many, programs like Skymaster offer access, and in North Greenwood, where generational opportunity gaps have shaped outcomes for decades, exposure to AI technology, aviation instruction, and FAA certification pathways proposes a new narrative. It signals that young people from this community can compete in advanced industries and build sustainable careers without leaving home.
“Most importantly, I want students to understand that they have the opportunity to overcome any obstacle and become anything they choose to pursue,” George said. “In aviation, we often say the sky is the limit. In this program, we teach them that the sky is truly the beginning.”
Enrollment for the current Skymaster session remains open through March 14. The next session will begin on August 29. (Maybe subject to change). Students and transitioning adults across Tampa Bay interested in drone certification, flight simulation training, AI literacy, and workforce development are encouraged to inquire while space remains available. For Powerful Young Adults Inc., the program reflects a continued commitment to ensuring young people in North Greenwood have access to the industries shaping tomorrow’s workforce.
Through its Skymaster Program, Powerful Young Adults Inc. is combining artificial intelligence training, aviation fundamentals, and workforce development to prepare young people and transitioning adults for careers in emerging industries.
Instructor Earl Johnson guides a student through the fundamentals of drone flight during a Skymaster Program training session at the North Greenwood Aquatic Center in Clearwater. Participants receive hands-on instruction using industry-standard DJI drones while learning the principles of safe and responsible flight. The program introduces youth and transitioning adults to aviation concepts while preparing them for FAA drone certification and future career opportunities. Image retrieved from PYA Inc website.
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