New Partnership Connects Students To Space Careers

Credit: KSCIA - Students attending the International Journey of Science & Technology

The country of Brazil will be the first country outside of the United States to host The Asteroid Mission STEM Initiative

​CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - June 8, 2017 - OSIRIS-REx will travel to a near-Earth asteroid called Bennu and bring a small sample back to Earth for study. The Asteroid Mission - OSIRIS-REx seeks answers to the questions that are central to the human experience.

The Brazil Florida Chamber of Commerce (BFCC), KSC International Academy (KSCIA), The Michaelis Foundation for Global Education (TMFGE) and The Asteroid Mission Initiative announced a significant partnership that will cultivate the future generation of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students while increasing opportunity for those young students by strengthening connections between educational institutions and careers.

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​"America's economic prosperity depends on building a talented workforce of problem solvers, critical thinkers and collaborators, skills taught through STEM education," said Carla Cristian, KSCIA Project Manager. "The Michaelis Foundation for Global Education is proud to partner with BFCC and The Asteroid Mission Initiative to offer very young students, especially those currently under-represented, greater resources and more direct pathways to in-demand careers in the STEM field" commented Jefferson Michaelis, TMFGE President.
Expanding student access to STEM education is an issue of paramount importance in an increasingly global economy. Job growth in STEM fields promises to be great. It is projected 2.4 million job openings in STEM nationwide through 2018.

"The concern for STEM shortages tends to focus on the possibility of an insufficient supply of global STEM workers, but the deeper problem is a broader scarcity of workers with basic STEM competencies in the emerging markets" explained Vinicius Fantuchi, Asteroid Mission Specialist.

BFCC, KSCIA and TMFGE are taking action by giving students in selected schools access to high-quality STEM program that equip them with the knowledge and skills needed for future success.

About OSIRIS-REx

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provides overall mission management, systems engineering and safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx. Dante Lauretta is the mission's principal investigator at the University of Arizona. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver is building the spacecraft. OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA's New Frontiers Program.

About BFCC

The Brazil-Florida Chamber of Commerce, BFCC, is a not-for-profit organization. BFCC has emerged as one of the most dynamic bilateral business catalysts in the nation in recent years.

Source: - PRLog

Contact
Cibele Santiago
Press Secretary
***@brazilflorida.org

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