NASA, in cooperation with the National Alliance of State Science and Mathematics Coalitions (NASSMC), Arlington, Va., has awarded grants to several state education coalitions. The purpose of the grants is to inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Funded by NASA’s Education Office NASSMC State Summit Implementation Program (NSSIP), the grants address the critical need to improve STEM education for students in underserved and underrepresented communities.
NSSIP is a two-year program. It provides assistance with planning, developing, administering, and implementing STEM activities for state based organizations. NSSIP programs also include comprehensive public awareness and engagement plans to promote active participation of state business, education and public policy leaders.
“This is another example of NASA’s commitment to improve our nation’s scientific literacy, address the needs of the 21st century workforce, and motivate students to connect and participate in the future opportunities of the Vision for Space Exploration,” said NASA’s Chief Education Officer, Dr. Adena Williams Loston. “These state-based coalitions demonstrate a capacity for like-minded organizations to come together and leverage their unique resources to help NASA sustain the Vision,” she said.
NSSIP is open to state-based organizations that comprise a coalition of business, education and public policy leaders united by a vision for improving STEM education. The proposing coalition must represent all three constituencies and must be statewide in scope. Additional support is provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Grants were awarded to:
- Alabama Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Coalition
- Colorado Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Coalition
- Connecticut Mathematics, Science & Technology Leadership Council, supported and administered by the CT Academy for Education in Mathematics, Science & Technology, Inc.
- Iowa Mathematics and Science Coalition
- New Mexico Partnership for Mathematics & Science Education
- South Carolina’s Coalition for Mathematics and Science
- Tennessee Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Center
The Vision for U.S. Space Exploration is a bold new course into the cosmos. It is a journey that will return the Space Shuttle safely to flight, complete the construction of the International Space Station, take humans back to the moon and eventually to Mars and beyond.
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