Aerospace is dedicated to supporting students and educators who are passionate about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). As part of our efforts, we continue to develop outreach to communities nationwide to provide high-quality, engaging STEM education resources.
Throughout the year, Aerospace provided a plethora of education opportunities for students and teachers alike, including this year’s Audience with Aerospace program. Through the program, Aerospace hosted a special virtual event with the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) Analog Crew with more than 1,000 students and teachers in attendance. The kids learned about participating in an analog mission and were excited to learn what it’s like being an astronaut living on earth.
In honor of World Space Week, we hosted a special Audience with Aerospace event in Los Angeles to teach kids about the exciting field of CubeSats. During Engineers’ Week in February, Aerospace scientists and engineers partnered with Columbia Memorial Space Center, NASA and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and participated in a panel where they spoke about the work they do on the DART Mission.
Aerospace also continued its partnership with the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) STEM Literacy Project, providing quality STEM education to nearly 18,000 students in the public-school districts of Los Angeles, Prince George, Md. and Fairfax, Va. We also hosted professional teacher development with aerospace scientists and engineers participating in virtual visits, providing educators with high-quality resources and lessons to share with their students.
Aerospace also partnered with the Los Angeles County of Education to host our Summer of STEM Teacher Workshops, featuring our newest CubeSats Lesson Plan. This year’s workshops took place in Albuquerque and Los Angeles, ensuring teachers and educators across the country have access to engaging and modern STEM lessons and activities for their students to enjoy.
Throughout the workshops, teachers engaged with STEM professionals, explored project ideas, networked with experts, and completed hands-on activities. The participants also got firsthand experience with the CubeSat Mission Brief Lesson Plan, simulated a coding experience that can be recreated in the classroom, and interacted with our Cubi Kit, where teachers had the opportunity to learn about satellites, their components, and positioning.
Aerospace also celebrated the back-to-school by rewarding teachers for creating lesson plans that inspire students to learn more about space STEM. Together with our STEM community partner and sponsor, the Aerospace Federal Credit Union, Aerospace awarded teachers up to $500 in small classroom grants for their lesson plans.
The students of today are the scientists and engineers of tomorrow. Education is an important key to success, and Aerospace is helping teachers shape the students of today to become the scientists and engineers of tomorrow.