Supporting the Workforce Pipeline

The Space Foundation is addressing the nationwide concern about the need to build a skilled workforce for the future. Its new Space in the Community program provides a long-game approach to growing an organic workforce, starting at the grass roots level by establishing a STEM education program that builds interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through instruction and presentations for teachers, students, parents and the entire community.

The Space Foundation's Space in the Community program can be delivered in any community in the country, allowing a funder to have an impact where its employees live, play and work. The program can be tailored from a menu that includes: Audience with an Astronaut™ presentations at schools, classroom hands-on activities, teacher professional development workshops and community speaking engagements.

The Space Foundation has made a number of recent changes to its education team, to build a traveling team for Space in the Community, and to support STEM-based field trips to its Discovery Center in Colorado Springs.

Recent changes to the education team include the promotion of Bryan DeBates from Senior Director - Education to Vice President - Education. DeBates wrote this month's Second View article about how Space in the Community is supporting a trained workforce pipeline.

Elias Molen (pictured top, right) has been promoted from Space Education Specialist to Manager - Education, and two new Space Education Specialists have been hired -- Keith Barger and Leanne Rehme (pictured).

Also pictured, is the Discovery Center's first Curator/Registrar, Rachel English. She is developing and maintaining exhibitions, while working to collect, preserve and document objects in the museum collection. The labs, exhibits and facilities at the Discovery Center provide a STEM-based setting for educational field trip programs.

See bios for the Space Foundation Education and Discovery Center team members here. Find application forms for field trip scholarships here. And learn how to schedule a Space in the Community program in your community here.

This article is part of Space Watch: August 2016 (Volume: 15, Issue: 8).