Earlier this month, Washington’s City Council authorized the city manager and city attorney to draft an agreement that would allow the Beaufort County Police Activities League to build and operate a multi-purpose STEM and aviation center at the city-owned Washington-Warren Airport.

The city’s airport advisory board recommended the city support the proposal.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. STEM is a program aimed at exposing youth to those disciplines and career fields. The local PAL works with area youth several ways, including exposing them to careers in aviation and aeronautics.

Should the facility cease to exist for its stated purpose, it will become property of the city.

PAL officials said the facility and its programs would be used to stimulate awareness of the airport as a community resource by offering youth-based aviation programs at the airport. The fact that PAL leaders recognize the airport as a community resource speaks volumes when it comes to their understanding of how the airport plays a role in economic development and education.

Late last year, PAL received a $161,000 to help fund three years of after-school STEM programs.

This facility, when it opens, will help expose youth to careers in other areas such a marine ecology and robotics. It should provide them a leg up as they work toward careers as pilots, marine biologists, scientists working in the robotics field, aeronautical engineers and the like.

By providing classrooms and laboratories for hands-on work, the facility should produce youth well versed in STEM principles and well prepared to compete at the college level, in training schools an in the workplace. Having such an advantage should lead to rewarding careers.

The facility’s offerings will be provided to youth who otherwise likely would not be exposed to industrial technology, boating, aviation, robotics and marine ecology.

The facility, yet to be built, is an investment in developing future community leaders by the community to be served by those future leaders.

It’s an investment that will not only benefit the community but area youth who need the opportunities the facility will provide them.