About & Accountability

Our mission

The American Center for Aviation Innovation (AMCAI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering underserved and at-risk youth in South Florida and across the nation through accessible, no-cost, year-round aviation, maritime, AI, and broader STEM education programs.

We were organized exclusively for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code — specifically to promote STEM education, aviation, and aerospace-related innovation for public benefit.

Why we exist

Aviation, aerospace, maritime and artificial intelligence industries are hiring faster than schools can prepare anyone for them. At the same time, students who fall behind in a traditional classroom are labelled and left behind — and the young people with the least access to hands-on STEM experience are exactly the ones those industries never reach.

AMCAI works the seam between those two facts. We take students that conventional pathways have written off, and we put them in a simulator, a lab, and a boat — with a diploma and an industry credential at the end of it.

What we do

  • Aviation & Aerospace — principles of flight, aircraft systems, simulator sessions, discovery flights, FAA Private Pilot knowledge preparation, and FAA Part 107 drone certification.
  • Maritime Technology & Engineering (ACMI) — marine navigation, environmental systems, artificial reef design, oil-spill response simulation, and maritime engineering foundations.
  • Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Tech — building AI tools, prompt engineering, and applied technology projects in modern STEM labs.
  • Engineering & STEM Foundations — robotics, electronics, mechanical systems and engineering design, through project challenges including Build-a-Plane, Build-a-Boat, solar cars and NASA-style robotics.

Alongside these, AMCAI supports dropout prevention and high school completion through High School Credit Recovery, the Success Steps Completion Program, and Adult High School Diploma options.

How students earn real credit

AMCAI is not an accrediting body, and we do not issue diplomas ourselves. Academic credit earned through our programs is issued by American High School Academy (AHSA), a Cognia®-accredited private school serving grades 6–12 and offering NCAA-approved courses, with campuses in Kendall (South Miami) and Hialeah–North Miami.

Both credentials can be checked independently. AHSA’s Cognia® Certificate of Accreditation is valid through 30 June 2031, and the school is listed in the Florida Department of Education Master School Identification directory under MSID 13-7864.

AHSA was founded in 2003, serves over 500 students, and has more than 10,000 graduates. Our curriculum aligns with national mathematics and science standards and follows Career and Technical Education best practices, so students leave with credentials and documented hands-on hours rather than a certificate of participation.

Dual enrollment. Eligible AHSA students may also take college courses for dual credit. AHSA’s dual-enrollment page names Miami Dade College and the University of South Florida. Eligibility, course availability and admission are set by AHSA and each college, not by AMCAI, so please check with AHSA before planning around a specific course.

Governance

AMCAI is governed by a volunteer board of directors, which sets policy, approves the budget and scholarship criteria, and oversees the organization’s finances. Directors and officers serve without compensation. Funders, partners and regulators who need additional governance information are welcome to email admin@amcai.org or use our contact form.

Board of Directors

  • Reinaldo Valentino — Chairman. Founder and Head of Schools of American High School Academy (AHSA), where he also serves as Principal Designated School Official for AHSA’s SEVP-certified international student program. U.S. Army veteran, pilot and professional skydiver. Completed NASA Wallops Rocket Academy for Teachers and aviation coursework at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
  • Maria Deal — Board Member. Designated School Official and Registrar at AHSA’s Aviation High School.
  • Franco Valentino — Board Member and Curriculum Advisor. Software engineer, private pilot and founder of Hangarly. Serves as a Commissioner on the Music City Executive Airport Authority Board in Tennessee, where he chairs the By-Laws Committee and serves on the Operations Committee. That role is personal and does not imply endorsement of AMCAI by the Authority. Read more.
  • Alina Burnett — Board Member. Fifteen years of high school teaching experience and a background in aviation management and operations, including administration and FBO fuel operations at American Wings Flight Academy. Director at Aviation World Management.

Executive Leadership

  • Kenneth “Ken” Garrido — Executive Director (non-voting). U.S. Marine Corps veteran with experience in ground security, aircraft weight and balance, operations, software engineering, artificial intelligence and STEM education. Chief Software Engineer for AMCAI and American Education Group LLC.

Advisory Board

  • Joshua “Josh” Allison — AMCAI Advisory Board member, maintenance sponsor and aviation technical advisor to AMCAI’s curricula and programs, including maintenance, flight operations, safety, workforce pathways and UAS/drone programming. U.S. Army veteran; FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) mechanic with inspection expertise; commercial pilot, airplanes and helicopters; FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot; Director of Maintenance, Pursuit Aviation. Provides technical oversight of the 1947 Navion restoration project within an agreed project scope.

Accountability and transparency

AMCAI is committed to ethical fundraising and transparent reporting. If you are evaluating us as a funder, partner or donor, this is the information you are most likely to need — and if you need something that is not here, please ask and we will send it.

  • Legal name: American Center for Aviation Innovation, Inc.
  • Tax status: 501(c)(3) public charity
  • EIN: 99-2049468
  • IRS determination letter: issued 25 March 2024 — read the letter
  • Florida charitable registration: CH77296
  • Fiscal year: 1 January – 31 December
  • Financial oversight: our books are maintained by an independent bookkeeping service, with annual review by an external tax preparer
  • Deductibility: contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law

Required disclosure (s.496.411(3), F.S.): A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352), OR AT FDACS.gov. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

Equal opportunity

AMCAI makes decisions about participation, scholarships and staffing based solely on merit, qualifications, and alignment with our mission, consistent with applicable federal law. We do not operate any program that gives preferential treatment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. Our programs are directed to students facing economic and academic disadvantage, and our scholarships are awarded on the basis of documented need.

Contact us

American Center for Aviation Innovation, Inc.
10300 SW 72nd St. #427
Miami, FL 33173, USA

Phone: 305-270-1440
Email: admin@amcai.org

For programs, volunteering, equipment donations, sponsorship or grant enquiries, please use our contact form — it routes your message to the right person.