Department of the Navy Awards Major Grant to OSC
Department of the Navy Awards Major Grant to OSC – The Department of the Navy recently awarded Orlando Science Center $600,490 to create hands-on STEM learning activities at the Bradley Otis Boys & Girls Club in the community of West Lakes. This partnership will enable Orlando Science Center to build strong relationships through consistent, hands-on programs that can provide a pathway to future STEM careers. It will have a major impact on unlocking the potential for these youth by directly reaching them in their neighborhoods, which have historically had a lack of access to high quality STEM learning. Over the next three years, grant funding will provide sustainable learning opportunities via sessions held twice a week throughout the academic year.
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What:
Orlando Science Center will facilitate STEM-focused activities, including robotics, coding and simulation, for grades 6-8 during afterschool programs as part of their Neighborhood Science initiative. “This project has the potential to transform the lives of youth through frequent high-quality interactions.” said JoAnn Newman, President and CEO of Orlando Science Center. “While the focus of this program is on STEM education, the deeper relationships that will be formed with these students will address gaps that go well beyond the classroom. It is our goal to work alongside them, building confidence and skills and letting them know they belong in these careers.”
The Science Center will collaborate with the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) to provide resources subject matter experts and youth mentors. Research has shown that the current lack of diversity in the STEM workforce comes from limited access from underserved communities to STEM programming and engagement with education programs. Through this effort, Orlando Science Center will strengthen ties with youth, staff and partner organizations. Entitled ENGAGE: Education of the Next Generation of Navy through Grassroots Informal STEM Education, this program will work to inspire and educate underrepresented youth in grades 6-12 through Orlando Science Center’s Neighborhood Science initiative. These programs provide multiple days of high-quality, immersive learning opportunities each week at locations embedded within the community.
The first Neighborhood Science program kicked off this past summer with a STEM lab in the Grand Avenue Community Center in Orlando’s Holden Heights neighborhood. Through consistent and authentic STEM learning, Neighborhood Science will help address the rising demand for STEM careers in Florida and the intense underrepresentation of women and people of color in STEM fields across the country.
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