The Baldwin-Whitehall School District is off to a wonderful start of the school year with fresh energy to learn. Students and staff are embracing the year with enthusiasm and setting a tone for an outstanding year ahead.

That momentum caught the eye of local media well before the first bell rang. The Tribune-Review highlighted how the District is preparing students for a future-focused school year, while a separate feature explored the creative temporary reconfiguration bringing kindergartners to the high school, opening the door to new mentorship opportunities between the District's youngest and oldest students. WPXI-TV also shared exciting leadership news, reporting on the appointment of a new middle school principal who will help guide students in the year ahead.

No story generated more buzz, though, than "Fly Like a Girl," the District's program preparing the next generation of female drone pilots. The initiative drew coverage from across the region and beyond: Blue Sky News introduced readers to the young women learning to pilot drones, while Axios Pittsburgh reported on how the program is training girls to become FAA-certified drone pilots. WPXI-TV covered the hands-on certification opportunities the program offers young girls, and WTAE-TV featured the program in a television segment of its own. The Tribune-Review explored how the flight school is opening doors for girls interested in the growing profession, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette described the program as offering a genuine pathway toward a career in aviation. Coverage extended west to the Washington Observer-Reporter, which reported on how the drone academy is opening up the world of aviation to female high school students, and even reached national trade press, with DroneXL noting how the program is turning Pittsburgh teens into skilled drone pilots. Together, this wave of coverage reflects a District that's not just starting the year strong, but doing so in ways that are genuinely turning heads.