AEOP activities
rely on adult partici-
pation, including Army scientists and engineers who serve as mentors, judges, presenters and teachers. In 2016, these mentors worked in STEM events with almost 31,000 AEOP students
in the
U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia, American Samoa, Guam and the Virgin Islands, as well as military dependents from DOD Education Activity schools, which serve military dependents worldwide where there are sizable populations of them.
“Engaging world-class scientists and engi- neers who work in our state-of-the-art research laboratories and engineering centers to mentor AEOP activities is a unique aspect that the Army offers to STEM education,” said Lopez. Students often work alongside Army engineers and scientists in labs on research projects. Many of the 135 universities and colleges that partner with AEOP offer research apprenticeships that expose students to unique STEM learning experiences.
RDECOM, based at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland, also collabo- rates with local STEM efforts like the Defense Treat Reduction Agency’s Joint Science and Technology Institute, a two-week residential research program that enables high school students and select teachers to work in world-class labs at APG.
RDECOM’s U.S. Army Communications- Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center at APG offers real- world paid internships in science and engineering for students 16 or older. At the end of their internships, the students, who work with professional engineers and scientists, present their research to APG leadership and local industry partners.
In addition to educating students about fundamental STEM skills, there are
HAPPENING NOW: SCIENCE
A student conducts an experiment at a 2016 STEM Expo at APG. The Army’s efforts to encourage STEM literacy are multipronged, including one-day events like the expo along with ongoing mentorship. Numerous organizations in the APG community meet to collaborate, discuss upcoming events and share best practices in STEM outreach and education. (Photo by Conrad Johnson, RDECOM)
other benefits to mentoring, includ- ing teaching children about the science culture and the importance of honesty, integrity and objectivity in scientific research. It also teaches children how to compete; many of the programs, such as AEOP’s eCYBERMISSION competi- tion, are competed at state, regional and national levels.
ECYBERMISSION, a web-based STEM competition for students in grades six through nine, is one of AEOP’s larg- est efforts. Dubbed the “world’s largest online science fair,” the program, which is in its 14th year, involved 20,607 stu- dents and 802 team advisers
in 2016.
Using either a scientific method or the engineering design process, teams of three or four students propose a solution to a real problem in their communi- ties and compete for state, regional and national awards and recognition.
In 2016, a team of sixth-graders from Puerto Rico won the eCYBERMISSION national competition for their work on an interactive website that serves as a warning system for people in their com- munity afflicted with respiratory issues from the effects of Saharan dust. (Trade winds blow dust from the Sahara Des- ert approximately 7,000 miles to Puerto Rico and other areas, carrying fungi and other particles that affect people with respiratory problems like asthma.) Te team of four girls worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to observe and analyze the current Saharan dust levels through satellite data or imagery. Tey used the information to create graphs, essays and surveys, which were shared online with their local community.
Te National Science Teachers Associa- tion (NSTA)
runs eCYBERMISSION. NSTA is a member of the AEOP
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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