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Military space groups in New Mexico expand recruitment and STEM education for children

STEM Education

AFRL’s STEM Academy provides curriculum and hands-on activities for students in kindergarten through high school including rocket launch competitions and simulated Mars missions.

Space News, Debra Werner, October 3, 2023 #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclear-free #NoNukes

“……….. Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate along with other military space organizations at Kirtland, including the Space Systems Command Innovation and Prototyping Directorate and the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, are funding science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, expanding internship programs and bolstering local and long-distance recruitment efforts.  

Since 2019 when Congress established the U.S. Space Force, demand for military, civilian and contractor space professionals across the country has grown. Demand is particularly acute in New Mexico, a state with about 2.1 million employees……………

Internships and Fellowships

AFRL brings high school, college and postgraduate researchers to Kirtland for summer internships. The goal is to “expose people to some of the things we do, because some of the things we do here are pretty cool,” Erwin said. “They can be offsets for things like not being able to pay people as much money” as private industry.

Science and engineering staff members at AFRL publish research topics online. Students can apply to work on specific topics.

“Those topics run all the way from things that are appropriate for a freshman in high school to advanced research, where we’re writing papers for journals and conferences for a PhD candidate,” Erwin said.

STEM Education

AFRL’s STEM Academy provides curriculum and hands-on activities for students in kindergarten through high school including rocket launch competitions and simulated Mars missions.

To meet growing demand, military space organizations seek to attract workers living in New Mexico and encourage other people to move there. 

…….The Space Force, meanwhile, is working with state and local governments and nonprofits like the Space Valley Coalition and NewSpace Nexus on STEM programs that encourage New Mexico students to consider space careers and stay in-state.

The Innovation and Prototyping Acquisition Delta also is strengthening ties with universities.

“We are developing partnerships with universities within New Mexico and regional universities, like the University of Texas, El Paso, to leverage those recruitment pipelines for technical as well as programmatic talent,” Straight said……….  https://spacenews.com/military-space-groups-in-new-mexico-expand-recruitment-and-stem/

October 7, 2023 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Education, USA