Air Institute

THE AIR INSTITUTE (WWW.AIRINSTITUTE.ORG) PROVIDES OUR NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CREATIVE ECONOMY GROWTH PROCESS METHODS TO COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. THE PROPRIETARY AIR METHOD IS THE ONLY CREATIVITY-FOCUSED ENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAM THAT CERTIFIES FACILITATORS TO BOTH TEACH OUR CURRICULUM AND DEVELOP LOCAL ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT THE UNIQUE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT MAKE UP THE CREATIVE ECONOMY. AIR PROGRAMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE AS IN-PERSON, ONLINE, AND HYBRID FORMATS. OUR FOCUS ON DESIGN THINKING, BUSINESS PLANNING, AND CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION IS ESSENTIAL. OUR METHOD IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN LOCAL CONTROL AND ACCESS, SO WE UTILIZE A TRAIN-THE TRAINER MODEL FOR ENSURING THAT OUR PROGRAMS CAN BE USED AND PRACTICED SUCCESSFULLY. WE BELIEVE THAT WHEN PEOPLE MOVE TO ACTION TOGETHER, EVEN SMALL ACTIONS, THAT RELATIONSHIPS, OWNERSHIP, AND LEARNING BECOME DEEPER AND REAL CHANGE IS POSSIBLE. AIR PROGRAMS USE ADULT LEARNING BEST PRACTICES SO THE WORKSHOPS ARE VERY INTERACTIVE AND FOCUSED ON DOING, NOT TALKING HEADS. FACILITATORS HELP ENSURE THAT THE PARTICIPANTS PRACTICE AND GAIN SELF-EFFICACY IN COLLABORATION, LISTENING, DESIGN THINKING, AND BUSINESS PLANNING. THE AIR INSTITUTE USES AN ITERATIVE PROCESS THAT MUST BE SUSTAINED OVER 3 YEARS FOR DEEP, DEMONSTRATED SUCCESS. NORMALLY, THE AIR INSTITUTE ENGAGES IN A 3-YEAR CONTRACT WITH A STATEWIDE INSTITUTION OR ORGANIZATION AS AN AIR STATE AFFILIATE. THE STATE AFFILIATE LEADS THE CHARGE OF ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITIES TO UTILIZE THE AIR METHOD. THE AIR METHOD IS ALREADY IN PRACTICE IN 7 STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WITH 3 MORE IN CONTRACTED DEVELOPMENT. THE AIR INSTITUTE'S GROWTH AND MOMENTUM SPURRED THE FORMATION OF A NEW NONPROFIT CORPORATION, SEATING OF A NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND A RELOCATION OF ITS NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS TO FREDERICK, MD IN APRIL 2020. IN 2020-2021 WE RAN TWELVE TRAININGS, WORKSHOPS, AND PILOTS TO TRANSFORM OUR PROGRAMS TO ONLINE AND HYBRID PLATFORMS THAT SERVED MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE ACROSS EIGHT STATES. -ONLINE ART BUILDS BUSINESS BUILDS ART WORKSHOPS - FRIENDS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA; PIKEVILLE, KY-ONLINE EVOLVE PROGRAMS - NELSONVILLE & LOGAN, OHIO; PATRICK & HENRY COUNTIES, VA-ZOOM TRAININGS ARTISTS THRIVE CONFERENCE; OHIO ARTS COUNCIL; KENTUCKY ARTS COUNCIL; KENTUCKY SBDC; GROW APPALACHIA-ONLINE SHIFT WORKSHOP PILOT - APPALACHIAN REGION-ONLINE FACILITATOR TRAINING PILOT - APPALACHIAN REGION

THE AIR INSTITUTE (WWW.AIRINSTITUTE.ORG) PROVIDES OUR NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CREATIVE ECONOMY GROWTH PROCESS METHODS TO COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. THE PROPRIETARY AIR METHOD IS THE ONLY CREATIVITY-FOCUSED ENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAM THAT CERTIFIES FACILITATORS TO BOTH TEACH OUR CURRICULUM AND DEVELOP LOCAL ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT THE UNIQUE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT MAKE UP THE CREATIVE ECONOMY. AIR PROGRAMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE AS IN-PERSON, ONLINE, AND HYBRID FORMATS. OUR FOCUS ON DESIGN THINKING, BUSINESS PLANNING, AND CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION IS ESSENTIAL. OUR METHOD IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN LOCAL CONTROL AND ACCESS, SO WE UTILIZE A TRAIN-THE TRAINER MODEL FOR ENSURING THAT OUR PROGRAMS CAN BE USED AND PRACTICED SUCCESSFULLY. WE BELIEVE THAT WHEN PEOPLE MOVE TO ACTION TOGETHER, EVEN SMALL ACTIONS, THAT RELATIONSHIPS, OWNERSHIP, AND LEARNING BECOME DEEPER AND REAL CHANGE IS POSSIBLE. AIR PROGRAMS USE ADULT LEARNING BEST PRACTICES SO THE WORKSHOPS ARE VERY INTERACTIVE AND FOCUSED ON DOING, NOT TALKING HEADS. FACILITATORS HELP ENSURE THAT THE PARTICIPANTS PRACTICE AND GAIN SELF-EFFICACY IN COLLABORATION, LISTENING, DESIGN THINKING, AND BUSINESS PLANNING. THE AIR INSTITUTE USES AN ITERATIVE PROCESS THAT MUST BE SUSTAINED OVER 3 YEARS FOR DEEP, DEMONSTRATED SUCCESS. NORMALLY, THE AIR INSTITUTE ENGAGES IN A 3-YEAR CONTRACT WITH A STATEWIDE INSTITUTION OR ORGANIZATION AS AN AIR STATE AFFILIATE. THE STATE AFFILIATE LEADS THE CHARGE OF ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITIES TO UTILIZE THE AIR METHOD. THE AIR METHOD IS ALREADY IN PRACTICE IN 7 STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WITH 3 MORE IN CONTRACTED DEVELOPMENT. THE AIR INSTITUTE'S GROWTH AND MOMENTUM SPURRED THE FORMATION OF A NEW NONPROFIT CORPORATION, SEATING OF A NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND A RELOCATION OF ITS NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS TO FREDERICK, MD IN APRIL 2020. IN 2020-2021 WE RAN TWELVE TRAININGS, WORKSHOPS, AND PILOTS TO TRANSFORM OUR PROGRAMS TO ONLINE AND HYBRID PLATFORMS THAT SERVED MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE ACROSS EIGHT STATES. -ONLINE ART BUILDS BUSINESS BUILDS ART WORKSHOPS - FRIENDS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA; PIKEVILLE, KY-ONLINE EVOLVE PROGRAMS - NELSONVILLE & LOGAN, OHIO; PATRICK & HENRY COUNTIES, VA-ZOOM TRAININGS ARTISTS THRIVE CONFERENCE; OHIO ARTS COUNCIL; KENTUCKY ARTS COUNCIL; KENTUCKY SBDC; GROW APPALACHIA-ONLINE SHIFT WORKSHOP PILOT - APPALACHIAN REGION-ONLINE FACILITATOR TRAINING PILOT - APPALACHIAN REGION