February 8, 2022, Santa Rosa, CA — NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) selected Conor Schott of Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) to attend their NCAS Virtual Experience. After completing a five-week course online, Schott is one of fewer than 900 other community college students from across the country who will participate. During the experience, which takes place from February 2 through 8, 2022, they will learn about NASA’s missions and careers in science and engineering.
Students form teams and design a mission to explore the moon or Mars. Each student team then joins a design team, fulfills a team role, manages a budget, and develops communication and outreach strategies. Students also attend events hosted by NASA subject matter experts, receive information on how to apply for NASA internships, and virtually tour NASA’s facilities during the event.
With this experience, NASA continues the tradition of engaging the nation in its mission of human exploration and sustainable expansion across the solar system and bringing new knowledge and opportunities back to Earth.
“The NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars Program underscores the importance of engaging STEM students beyond the classroom with authentic, hands-on, real-world experiences to develop the next generation of scientists and engineers,” said Victor K. Tam, SRJC Dean of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). “With most research opportunities only available at four-year institutions, having NASA engage at the community college level opens up relevant lab experiences to an even larger and more diverse student body to help fill the careers of tomorrow. Having Connor selected for this prestigious program speaks to his dedication and hard work, as well as the strength of STEM programs at SRJC.”
The Minority University Research and Education Program (MUREP) funds NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars. MUREP is committed to engaging underrepresented and underserved students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) with authentic learning experiences to sustain a diverse workforce.
For more information, visit:
https://go.nasa.gov/ncas
