Young Eagles Online Registration Tool Rebuild
December, 2023 — The Young Eagles online registration tool (currently known as YEDay.org) has been in place for a little more than five years. In that time, it has exploded in popularity. In 2023, approximately three-quarters of Young Eagles flown were registered using this system.
Thanks to the efforts of Don White, EAA Lifetime 570212, the tool has evolved over time to include many invaluable bells and whistles. Everything from email management, rally timeslots, certificate printing capabilities, EAA member/YPP verification, overnight uploads to the EAA database, and now integration with the EAA Digital Signature App. Thank you Don for your dedication to the tool!
Since the tool’s inception, it has been maintained solely by Don. Don has done a great job supporting the tool and has always been there to assist chapters in need. However, if for any reason Don was unable to support the system, EAA and EAA members would be left without a dedicated IT support team. Plus, Don deserves more free time to finish his Velocity and enjoy flying the Florida coast!
These factors, coupled with the massive growth in usage, has led EAA to put together a more robust support system. The EAA Young Eagles and IT teams in Oshkosh have spent the past 12 months evaluating the best options for moving the tool to an EAA-supported platform. Where we have landed is working with a third-party vendor to rebuild the tool from the ground up.
Fear not, all the functionality you have come to know and love will be retained, along with the addition of a few new features. This rebuild has also provided EAA the opportunity to streamline certain components of the system.
At the time of writing this message, the rebuild is in the early stages. The target launch date is late March/early April 2024. After initial launch, there will be a beta test window before the tool is fully launched for use across the entire chapter network.
In the lead up to the launch, EAA will provide a full transition plan to Young Eagles coordinators. This will include when the official transition will occur, how to handle upcoming events, the transition of user profiles, and of course the entirely new training program.
Our main priorities during this transition are as follows:
- Prevent any service interruptions to chapters
- Retain the primary user experience, as to not require retraining for current users
- Update the look and feel of the tool
- Create stronger integration with EAA databases to provide a more holistic Young Eagles resource
- Streamline some processes to lessen the learning curve for new users
- Ensure a robust support system is in place for the tool. This includes training documentation and dedicated support from EAA HQ
As EAA works through this transition, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or feedback by emailing yeagles@eaa.org.
Please keep an eye out for additional communications regarding this move in the coming weeks.
