| Contact: Paragon TEC Partnership Development Team partnerships@paragon-tec.com | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
PARAGON TEC SELECTS SIX PARTNERS TO SUPPORT NASA SPARX CHALLENGES AND COMPETITIONS SERVING K-12 STUDENTS THROUGH STEM EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
Partners Will Help Broaden Student Participation in NASA STEM Opportunities Nationwide with a Focus on Serving Underserved and Underrepresented Communities
Cleveland, Ohio (October 27, 2021) – Paragon TEC, a support services contractor for NASA’s Office of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Engagement, announced today it has awarded grants to six partners to support the implementation and evaluation of NASA SPARX (Sparking Participation And Real-world eXperiences in STEM) Challenges and Competitions. NASA SPARX is a pilot initiative from NASA’s Next Gen STEM (NGS) that aims to broaden student participation in agency STEM opportunities with a focus on underserved and underrepresented communities.
The competitive solicitation was issued on July 27, 2021 and closed August 15, 2021. The six partners selected include:
- Aviation Youth Mentoring Program (Washington, D.C.) – www.aymp.org
- Broward Education Foundation (Fort Lauderdale, FL) – www.browardschools.com/stem
- Consumer Energy Education Foundation (Houston, TX) – www.ceef.org
- LiftOff Alumni Association (Round Rock, TX) – liftoff2stem.com
- Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool/Youth Development Network (Camp Hill, PA) – www.psaydn.org
- Rio Grande Valley Science Association (Donna, TX) – https://sites.google.com/site/rgvsatx/home
The above six institutions propose to reach 535 educators and 25,000 students during the 2021-2022 school year, and each partner will receive an award of up to $50,000.
ABOUT NASA NEXT GEN STEM
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement launched the Next Gen STEM with a focus on reaching students where they are using NASA’s missions, content, people, and facilities. NGS has developed an integrated portfolio of products, authentic experiences, challenges and competitive opportunities, that spans educational levels and reduces barriers to entry while building STEM identity. NASA is working to provide mission-driven opportunities that enhance STEM literacy and help build a vibrant and diverse next generation STEM workforce. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/stem/nextgenstem/.