News Headlines STEM education and community outreach merge at Capitol College’s Center for Space Science Education | STEM education and community outreach merge at Capitol College’s Center for Space Science Education |
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Capitol College September 3, 2009
Capitol College has established the Center for Space Science Education and Public Outreach (SSEPO) as a component of recent strategic initiatives within the space science and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields, building upon the Emerging Leaders Program announced in June 2009. The mission for the Center is to provide hands-on educational and workforce development experiences for K-12, community college and college students, and those who support them in achieving leadership careers in the STEM fields.
Haden Land, vice president - chief technology officer and chief information officer for Lockheed Martin IS&GS-Civil Product Line, officially presented the college with seed funding from the company’s foundation on September 2, 2009 to augment the immediate growth of the initiative.
“Initial financial support from Lockheed Martin and other grants will enable the Center’s mission and supplement the college’s current outreach efforts,” said Capitol College President Michael Wood. “We look forward to the development and cultivation of new partnerships with external organizations through the Center, as well as continuing to support Capitol’s Space Operations Institute’s and our Innovation and Leadership Institute’s educational objectives.”
Dr. Michael Gibbs, vice president for advancement, will lead the new Center. Interns from the Space Operations Institute will be invited to serve as mentors to K-12 and community college students, providing both leadership and mentorship roles while helping them to develop leadership and project management skills in addition to the technical skills they develop in their classrooms. Several Capitol College faculty and staff will also assist in conducting the Center’s educational programs in conjunction with others from the community who support the college’s STEM efforts.
“The Center's vision is to assist in educating and developing the future leaders of the STEM career fields through utilizing space science, astronomy and other related areas of study at Capitol College to engage students of all ages,” commented Dr. Gibbs. “The Center is a welcome addition to the Capitol community and builds on our strategic objectives.”
The SSEPO will also support the Innovation and Leadership Institute by creating new ways to improve and expand STEM education. |