The California Space Grant Consortium (CaSGC) is pleased to announce it has won an award in the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program Competitive Opportunity for Partnerships with Community Colleges and Technical Schools.

Over the next two years the CaSGC will be working with 12 California community colleges to enhance Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) preparation and provide a bridge opportunity for 300 community college students to study STEM fields at the university level.

California Community College Partners & Faculty Contacts:

• Cerritos College: Janet McLarty-Schroeder
• Citrus College: Lucia Riderer
• College of the Desert: J. Carl Farmer
• Contra Costa College: Jon Celesia
• Evergreen Valley College: Alfred Gonzalez
• Irvine Valley College: Alec Sim
• Los Angeles City College: Jayesh Bhakta
• Napa Valley College: Erin Quealy
• Rio Hondo College: Gisela Spieler-Persad
• San Diego City College: Rafael Alvarez
• Southwestern College: Raga Bakhiet
• Victor Valley College: Michael Butros

Key Components of Project:

• Distance Learning STEM Course for Community College Faculty on how to program low-cost microcomputers (specifically Arduinos) and use them as part of a larger student STEM project
• Hands-On STEM Team Projects where students will work in teams of four on STEM based projects enhancing STEM retention and improving the bridge to four-year universities. Project examples include near-space ballooning, small satellites, UAV auto-pilots, autonomous ground robots, and wearable sensor vests for sports and health monitoring.
• NASA Field Trip for Community College Faculty to meet with NASA researchers and the Office of Education to learn how to bring NASA content to their campus programs and their STEM projects.
• NASA Field Trip for Community College Students (with Faculty) to learn about current Center research challenges, attend a research seminar, and meet with NASA scientists and engineers to discuss their research and get inspirational career counseling advice. Students will present posters of their Team Projects to the NASA scientists and engineers.
• NASA Webinars to the Community Colleges where each of the three California NASA Centers will prepare two webinars each (six per year) on research topics that highlight the unique work of each center and are of interest to the community college faculty and students.

NASA Center Project Partners:

• NASA Ames Research Center, Elizabeth Cartier
• NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, Francisco Pena
• NASA Jet Propulsion Center, Roslyn Soto

Curriculum Development & Support Partner:

ThoughtSTEM, in conjunction with UCSD Extension, which will provide continuing education credit to the participating faculty.

Program Abstract:

Please click here.

For More Information:

Please contact John Kosmatka, CaSGC Director, or Tehseen Lazzouni, CaSGC Assistant Director.