PROJECT OVERVIEW
Establishing the Need
Students in Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields provide the workforce for
vital military, government, and industry jobs, as well as supplying
the great thinkers needed to maintain U.S. leadership in technology
and innovation. There is a serious shortage of young people entering
STEM fields today. This fact, coupled with the high-tech workforce
needs of the 21st Century and the lagging test scores
indicating a lack of STEM proficiency amongst the next generation of
explorers, poses a bleak picture of an America left behind.
SEMAA’s Unique Capacity to Respond to the Need
SEMAA harnesses the collective
resources of NASA, institutions of higher education, science centers,
museums, and primary and secondary schools to bridge the education
gap for historically underserved and underrepresented K-12 youth in
STEM. The foundation of SEMAA’s thirteen-year track record of
success is centered around the project’s unique capacity to build
strong relationships with students and families focused on the
benefits of STEM literacy.
Mission
SEMAA is an innovative, national
project designed to increase the participation and retention of
historically underserved and underrepresented K-12 youth in the areas
of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
Goals
Inspire a
more diverse student population to pursue careers in STEM-related
fields.
Engage students,
parents/adult family members and teachers by incorporating emerging
technologies.
Educate students
utilizing rigorous STEM curricula, designed and implemented as only
NASA can.
Key Components of
Service
(1) Hands-on, Inquiry-Based K-12 STEM Curricula
The NASA SEMAA
project utilizes a series of unique hands-on, inquiry-based classroom
curriculum enhancement activities. In addition to being aligned with
national math, science, and technology standards, these activities
encompass the research and technology of each of NASA’s four
Mission Directorates (Aeronautics Research, Exploration System,
Science, and Space Operations). On average, NASA SEMAA students
participate in this classroom curriculum for a total of thirty-six
(36) hours each year, twenty-one (21) hours during the academic year
and fifteen (15) hours during the summer. NASA SEMAA graduates who
have participated in the entire K-12 curriculum will have completed
441 hours of advanced studies in STEM prior to their enrollment in a
post-secondary institution.
(2) Aerospace Education Laboratory (AEL)
Developed by NASA
and equipped with 10 workstations, the AEL is an electronically
enhanced, computerized classroom that puts cutting edge technology at
the fingertips of NASA SEMAA middle and high school aged students.
Each computerized research station provides students with real world
challenges relative to both an aeronautics and microgravity scenario.
Examples of the real aerospace hardware and software contained in
the AEL include an Advanced Flight Simulator (AFS); a
laboratory-grade, research wind tunnel; and a working, short-wave
receiver and hand-held Global Positioning System (GPS) for aviation.
In addition to being an extraordinary tool for educating middle and
high school students, the AEL serves as an excellent training
facility for pre-service teachers on the NASA SEMAA curriculum.
(3) Family Café
Unique to the NASA
SEMAA project, the Family Café is an interactive forum that
promotes sustained family involvement at each of the NASA SEMAA sites
around the country. The Family Café engages SEMAA
parents/adult family members in up to 21 hours of Family Focus Group
sessions each year; during which time participants are engaged in
dialogue focused on relevant parenting and STEM education
information. In addition to Focus Groups, the Family Café
hosts a multitude of Family Night activities and other special events
that promote parent/adult family member participation in student
learning.
Participants
The NASA SEMAA project currently boasts
17 sites located throughout 13 states and the District of Columbia.
These site locations include community colleges, four-year
colleges/universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and
Universities (TCUs), primary/secondary schools, science centers and
museums. Collectively, the SEMAA sites have inspired, engaged, and
educated over 220,000 students, parents/adult family members and
teachers over the course of the past three years alone.
Partnerships
Each NASA SEMAA site is required to
develop a Sustainability Plan to enhance local project operations, as
well as to ensure project sustainability beyond NASA funding. During
the 2006 fiscal year, NASA SEMAA sites leveraged a network of 200+
partners that contributed a record number of sustaining funds for
SEMAA in excess of $2.6 Million (including both financial and in-kind
support).
Management
The NASA SEMAA project is managed by
the Educational Programs Office at NASA Glenn Research Center, with
contractor support provided by Paragon TEC, Inc. NASA SEMAA,
together with its 200+ STEM partners, continues its work around the
country to inspire, engage, and educate the next generation of
explorers.
Annual Report
Click here to View Our Annual
Report.
