In an effort to connect underrepresented and minority groups to opportunities in science, math, engineering, and technology (STEM), NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Program Aerospace Academy awarded $2.3 million in grants to seven Minority Serving Institutions. Each institution receiving a grant award of up to $325,000 over a two-year period will craft STEM programs to help students in grades K-12 based on NASA themed projects and technology.
NASA’s Program bridges the gap between students unexposed to areas of STEM and NASA resources. Their multi-year grants are used to expand and improve academic tools used at minority institutions, and eventually recruit minorities such as women and disabled persons into STEM fields.
Each of the seven awardees presented a unique way to apply the funds to assist minority groups.
For example, the University of Texas at El Paso plans to reach the underserved areas of El Paso County by teaming up with United Way and Lockheed Martin Space Systems, implementing three new tracks of study for young students. The program offers students more opportunity to research and experiment with the engineering design process, eventually culminating in a capstone project.
Another school, Navajo Technical College, plans to provide students from tribal reservation communities in New Mexico with advanced classes in aerospace manufacturing, conceptual design and planning, employee skills development, and unmanned aircraft systems. The College’s robotics academy also hopes to create a class plan to develop experiential learning robotics in ways that will maintain respect to traditional Navajo culture.
The other awardees are: Albany State University, Georgia, California State University, Fresno, Elizabeth City State University, North Carolina, Tennessee State University, Nashville, and Texas State University, San Marcos.
As of a 2018 Pew Research Center study, women make up about 14 percent of the engineering field and 25 percent of the computer field. Blacks represent 9 percent of STEM occupations and Hispanics represent 7 percent. The grants will give minority students greater exposure to STEM curriculum with the end goal of minority groups achieving greater representation in these fields.
