Hartnell college proposal summary abstract (4,000 characters limit) hartnell college proposes transitioning its current semaa into a murep aerospace academy (MAA) project. The project will be…

This is a $420,000.00 Cooperative Agreement between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Hartnell Community College District in Salinas, California. The award is to transition Hartnell's existing Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA) program into a MUREP Aerospace Academy (MAA) project.

The MAA project will serve approximately 2,000 underrepresented and disadvantaged K-12 students per year in a region with large numbers of migrant, low-income, and low-educational attainment families. The project will partner with 9 school districts and 30 schools to address challenges such as STEM performance, language barriers, technology access, and parental engagement. Key activities will include implementing SEMAA/MAA curriculum enhancements, extended learning, field trips, and a family engagement program. The goal is to increase STEM participation and retention, with 60% of high school seniors enrolling in STEM majors at Hartnell or other postsecondary institutions.

This Cooperative Agreement is not a set-aside contract. Hartnell has received prior NASA awards to operate STEM education programs and will leverage those experiences to deliver this project. The award supports NASA's strategic goals for STEM education and workforce development.

Hartnell college proposal summary abstract (4,000 characters limit) hartnell college proposes transitioning its current semaa into a murep aerospace academy (MAA) project. The project will be located in salinas, CA and serve a region that is both urban and rural with large numbers of migrant families who are low income with low levels of educational attainment. Currently, hartnell operates the only semaa program in the far west, and is one of only four west of the mississippi. Hartnell colleges NASA MAA will build on a successful semaa project by enabling the college to better address the growing, significant, and unmet need to improve science and math competencies among a large and growing population of underrepresented and disadvantaged k-12 students. The incorporation of semaa into murep supports this through its specific focus on creating additional funding and learning opportunities to attract and retain underserved and underrepresented youth in grades k-12. Support through nasas murep aerospace academy program, when leveraged with other, ongoing efforts, will result in an enhanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) pipeline expanding postsecondary access and success for underserved and underrepresented youth. Hartnell college conducted an extensive needs assessment in preparation for developing and submitting this MAA proposal and identified four challenges faced by the target latino population in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem); challenges that can be directly addressed through this project: student performance in stem; language barriers; access to technology; and parental involvement with education. To meet these challenges, hartnells MAA will partner with nine school districts and 30 k-12 schools that are overwhelmingly latino/a, with large number of low income english learners and low rates of success in stem. In addition, the program will work with hartnell colleges key stem partners, including NASA ames research center, U.C. Berkeley, U.C. Santa cruz, and the naval postgraduate school. Highly qualified program staff will rigorously implement the approved semaa/MAA curriculum enhancement activities (ceas), as written, as well as implement other NASA educational content materials; extended learning activities; field trips; and the family cafe. The aerospace education laboratory (AEL) and classroom space will be based at hartnells center for advanced technologies located in the heart of the target population. Activities will be relevant to nasas mission and include significant NASA-related content in addition to the NASA content in the ceas. The program will serve 2,000 k-12 students each year using 100 k-12 teachers resulting in 85 percent completion rates with 60 percent of participating high school seniors enrolling in a stem major at hartnell college or other postsecondary institution. Hartnells MAA project will meet specific NASA MAA goals and objectives; nasas stragtegic plan goals, including annual performance goals and indicators (2014); and the objectives contained in the CO-stem strategic plan (2013). Overall, the hartnell MAA will be integrated with other stem programs and initiatives at hartnell, strengthening the stem pipeline for latino and female youth throughout the community.