Inspiring Conversations with Zac Woonsam of Youth Inspiration Nation Inc

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zac Woonsam.

Hi Zac, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I fell in love with aviation when I was seven years old after attending my first airshow. Watching airplanes climb into the sky flipped a switch in me that never turned off. Flying represented freedom, possibility, and a future bigger than my circumstances. But life had other plans before it brought me back to the cockpit.

I lost my mother to cancer at fifteen. Shortly after, I became homeless. At seventeen, I survived a violent attack that severely injured my right eye and nearly took my vision. Recovery was long and uncertain, and for a while, the dream of aviation felt like something I had to leave behind. Still, the pull of flight never faded. I eventually rebuilt my life, earned my private pilot’s license, and found stability, but more importantly, I gained perspective.

Along the way, I realized something powerful. I had discovered aviation early in life, but many kids never get that chance, especially those growing up in under resourced communities. Aviation and STEM are often hidden worlds, accessible only to those with money, connections, or proximity. I knew firsthand how one spark at the right moment could change everything. That realization became the runway for Youth Inspiration Nation.

I founded Youth Inspiration Nation in 2017 with a simple but ambitious goal, to remove fear and barriers and introduce young people to what is possible when they believe in themselves. We created a free, aviation focused STEM program for underrepresented and economically disadvantaged youth, centered around static and full motion flight simulators, hands on engineering challenges, and real world aviation experiences. Students do not just learn about flight, they experience it. They sit in simulators, wear headsets, learn aerodynamics, and ultimately fly a real airplane at the end of the program.

The journey has not been easy. We lost our classroom during the pandemic. Our trailer containing a full motion flight simulator was stolen. My family and I have personally covered program costs, gone without pay, and carried the weight of keeping the doors open because we believe so deeply in the mission. Even now, survival is a constant challenge. But every time a student overcomes fear, every time a parent writes a paragraph long review about how their child has changed, every time a kid looks up and says, “I didn’t know this was possible for me,” it reinforces why we keep going.

Today, Youth Inspiration Nation serves students across Los Angeles County, offering a one of a kind aviation STEM experience that blends inspiration, education, and confidence building. We are still growing, still fighting, still dreaming, but the mission remains the same as it was at seven years old, to help kids see the sky not as a limit, but as an invitation.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all. The road has been anything but smooth, and in many ways, that is what defines Youth Inspiration Nation. From the very beginning, the biggest challenge has been sustainability. We chose to offer our program completely free to students, which meant every dollar needed to be raised, stretched, and justified. There were no safety nets. If funding fell short, my family and I filled the gaps ourselves, often at personal and financial cost. There were moments when keeping the lights on felt like a daily calculation.

The pandemic was one of our hardest chapters. We lost our classroom and operated without a permanent space for nearly two years. During that time, our trailer, which housed a full motion flight simulator worth tens of thousands of dollars, was stolen and never recovered. That loss was devastating, not just financially, but emotionally. It represented years of work and a critical part of the student experience.

Even after rebuilding, challenges continued. Aging equipment, rising rent, and the constant pressure of fundraising have never let up. There have been times when our story aired on the news asking for community support, while behind the scenes we were unsure how long we could continue operating. Survival has often required creativity, resilience, and a willingness to keep going even when the path forward was unclear.

But the biggest struggle has also been the most meaningful. Choosing to believe in this mission when the numbers do not always make sense on paper. Choosing to show up for students even when resources are tight. Choosing to keep a promise to families that this program will remain accessible, welcoming, and free. Those struggles shaped us. They forced us to build something real, something honest, and something deeply rooted in purpose. Youth Inspiration Nation exists today not because the road was easy, but because we refused to give up when it wasn’t.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Youth Inspiration Nation Inc?
Youth Inspiration Nation is a nonprofit built around one core belief: inspiration is most powerful when it is experienced, not explained. We provide a completely free, aviation focused STEM program for underrepresented and economically disadvantaged youth in Los Angeles County, primarily serving students ages 9-14. What we do goes far beyond traditional classroom learning. Our program is immersive, hands on, and intentionally designed to feel real. From the moment students walk into our space, they are stepping into an aviation environment, not a lecture.

We specialize in experiential learning through high fidelity flight simulators, engineering challenges, and real world exposure to aviation careers. Students learn the science of flight, aerodynamics, navigation, weather, and problem solving, but they also learn confidence, focus, and how to manage fear. They wear headsets, fly simulated missions, and work through scenarios that demand teamwork and critical thinking. At the end of the program, they fly in a real airplane. For many of our students, it is their first time ever leaving the ground.

What sets Youth Inspiration Nation apart is authenticity and access. This is not a watered down program or a one day demo. We are not showing kids pictures of airplanes, we are putting them in the cockpit. Aviation is often perceived as unattainable, expensive, or reserved for a select few. We deliberately break that narrative by meeting students where they are and showing them that these worlds belong to them too.

Brand wise, what I am most proud of is trust. Families trust us with their children. Students trust us with their fears. Partners trust that when they walk into our classroom, they are seeing something real, something built with care and purpose. Our brand is not flashy, it is grounded. It represents resilience, curiosity, and belief in possibility.

I want readers to know that Youth Inspiration Nation is not just about aviation. Aviation is the vehicle. The destination is empowerment. We are opening doors, expanding horizons, and helping young people see themselves as capable of more than they ever imagined. When fear is removed and opportunity is placed directly in a child’s hands, everything changes. That is what we do, every single day.

How do you define success?
Success is not a number or a headline for me. It is the moment a student overcomes fear, tries something unfamiliar, and walks away believing in their own potential. It is seeing confidence replace doubt and curiosity replace hesitation. If a young person leaves our program with a broader sense of what is possible in life, both in the skies and on the ground, then we have done our job. That lasting shift in mindset is the truest measure of success.

Pricing:

• Our program is free
• We accept Donations
• https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/047a5029-36ef-4a18-9536-39695028ade5

Contact Info:

• Website: https://InspireKids.US
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aviationeducation4kids/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AviationEducation4Kids/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AviationEducation4Kids