Education Programs
Collaborating with education leaders to create radical STEM programs that will challenge the next generation to do great things.
The Lindbergh Foundation inspires the next generation of innovators through hands-on STEM education grounded in aviation history. Our programs connect students to real-world problem-solving, creativity, and character development — guided by the legacy of Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh.
Spirit of St. Louis Air Races
The Spirit of St. Louis Air Races is the Lindbergh Foundation’s inaugural student aviation competition for students in grades 6–12. The program blends STEM learning, creativity, and character through a dynamic, flight-focused experience.
The competition is inspired by the early moments that shaped Charles Lindbergh himself. As a young man in St. Louis, Lindbergh was captivated by aviation exhibitions and air shows — thrilling demonstrations of ingenuity, precision, and possibility that helped spark his lifelong passion for flight. The Air Races event carries that spirit forward, inviting students to explore what aviation can achieve today and what it might become tomorrow.
The Experience
Students design, build, and fly aircraft while engaging core STEAM principles (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math). The program emphasizes learning by doing, encouraging creativity, persistence, and confidence alongside technical skill.
- Awards recognize:
Flight performance and precision - Creative design and craftsmanship
- Student reflections on the meaning of the Spirit of St. Louis
Students compete as individuals while benefiting from mentorship and shared learning.
More Than a Competition
The Spirit of St. Louis Air Races program is about more than racing aircraft. It cultivates the values aviation demands — discipline, imagination, courage, and resilience — while connecting students to St. Louis’s pivotal role in aviation history.
By linking today’s students to the experiences that inspired Charles Lindbergh nearly a century ago, we hope to ensure the Spirit of St. Louis continues to spark discovery and ambition for generations to come.
Get Involved
The Spirit of St. Louis Air Races are made possible through partnerships with educators, sponsors, volunteers, and community organizations. We invite you to join us in helping young people take flight.
Past Programs
eSpirit of St. Louis
The Future of Flight
The Lindbergh Foundation partnered with Embry Riddle Aeronautical University’s Eagle Flight Research Center to have students build an all-electric aircraft – The e-Spirit of St. Louis. The genesis of this idea came from the National Park Service asking Erik Lindbergh if he could demonstrate quiet electric flight above the Grand Canyon. That idea led to the creation of the eSpirit which is 95 percent student led and serves as a test bed for the engineering, research, development and testing of electric aircraft systems.
ERAU Student Showcases electric eSpirit of St. Louis to FAA Administrator Huerta at Oshkosh Airventure.
LINDBERGH & XPRIZE
The Forever Flight Alliance
A joint program of the Lindbergh Foundation and The XPRIZE Foundation to make aviation permanently sustainable.
Sponsors of this Event That Support the EPIC STEM CHALLENGE
