GASEF Funding Awards January 2022
On January 17, 2022, the General Atomics Sciences Education Foundation announced awards of $35,000 in funding to 5 organizations and programs to improve K-12 STEM education.
1. $20,000 to Civil Air Patrol, California Wing, San Diego Cadet Squadron 144 to support the Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS) program
Funds will support the CAP California Wing’s Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) program. CAP is a volunteer non-profit auxiliary of the US Air Force. This application is focused on capital asset acquisition and training, hardware, software, and the Cadet Flight Training Program. The funds will be used to support the CAP’s Cadet Flight Training programs, focused on Unmanned Aerial Systems. This funding will fund acquisition of 2 Skydio AEF licenses and 3D Scan licenses, which will allow sUAS Pilot and Ground Crew training to begin. There are 54 new Cadets, ages 12 to 19, that are expected to enroll the first year of this program, along with 4 that already have some FAA certification. CAP actively pursues diversity and provides scholarships for members in underserved and underprivileged areas. These scholarships can be used for membership and all other activities including Annual Dues, Uniforms, Encampments, and Flight Instruction programs like sUAS. CAP's sUAS program is a unique, well-designed extension of their outstanding Cadet and STEM Education programs. the CAP will share any of its published STEM materials with educators anywhere making STEM education available to educators in any underserved or underprivileged locale, not just the cities and towns where the CAP has active Cadet Programs
2. $2,500 to San Diego Architectural Foundation to support their architectural education program
Funds will support their 3 architectural education programs. The first is the Built Environment Education Program (BEEP)— an in-person workshop for San Diego children and younger teenagers. BEEP incorporates STEM concepts such as engineering and mathematics (geometry) to teach about the built environment. BEEP now occurs in person at local neighborhood parks during which children are tasked with building their own cities with household supplies. The program roughly goes for about two hours each and is free of cost to the participant. SDAF works with organizations like the local chapter of the USO and Boy Scout troops to attract attendees. For 2021-2022, the goal is to reach more youth from lower-income neighborhoods by collaborating with organizations such as the Jacobs Center for Innovation in Lincoln Park to reach their constituents. At least five in-person BEEP workshops will be held throughout the next year. The second and third programs are hosted on ZOOM with graphics and instruction provided by an SDAF architects in real-time. For KidSketch, 15-25 children typically age six-12 login annually from all over nation to participate in monthly one hour long online sketching tutorials. For Candyland, four times per year. 10-12 children of all ages, and their families engage in a virtual activity where they are provided with instructions and encouragement to engineer their own geodesic dome. The cost to participate in these programs is free and program supplies are also free.
3. $1,500 to the Association of Women in Science, San Diego for their outreach programs
The requested funds will be used to purchase supplies that will be used for demonstrations in the activities listed below, and promotion materials to attract attendees. These activities are scheduled for the 2021-2022 school year, which would affect over 60,000 students. Funds will be used for events from October 2021 through March 2022. These events include Halloween STREAM/San Diego Public Library, Chem Expo at Miramar Community College, Expanding Your Horizons at USD, Expo Day and STEM in your Backyard both at the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering at Petco Park.
4. $5,000 to the North County Education Foundation for their Super STEM Saturday event
The sponsorship funds will go to pay for Super STEM Saturday at Cal State San Marcos event fees and expenses including exhibition booth table and canopy rentals, event parking, program printing, t-shirts, facility rental, etc. This event usually attracts over 10,000 attendees from in and around San Diego. It includes all age and ethic demographics with a special focus on K-12 students interested in the STEM disciplines and careers. The event will occur on 3/12/2022. The Classical Academies have many families with employees who work at General Atomics, and this request is a natural partnership based on these strong community and work relationships. Super STEM Saturday welcomes thousands of families to the campus of Cal State San Marcos to discover science, reimagine technology, create engineering, and explore math concepts. With nearly 120 hands-on, interactive STEM activities and demonstrations, Super STEM closes the ten-day San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering, the largest celebration of innovation and science education in Southern California. The 2022 event will be held completely outdoors to avoid onerous and burdensome COVID regulations.
5. $6,000 to Innovations for Learning, Inc. for their TutorMate program
The funds are required for GA&A personnel to participate in the TutorMate program, where employees remotely tutor at-risk first grade students in reading in Denver, CO. 25 tutors at GA&A have registered to tutor. Tutoring is to begin in early January 2022, having been delayed due to complications involving students going back to school in a complex pandemic environment.
Since 1995, the General Atomics Sciences Education Foundation has provided support for K-12 STEM education projects and has given over $713,000 to science education non-profit agencies in San Diego and other locations to improve elementary, middle, and high school STEM, with a focus on traditionally underserved students.
The Foundation also supports STEM outreach for GA&A employees via the GASSSS (GA Scientists/Engineers Supporting Science/Engineering for Students) program, where GA employees perform education activities in K-12 settings, are reimbursed for STEM purchases, and are provided with a charge numbers for their time. Through December 2021, over 685 employees have participated in the Foundation’s GASSSS outreach program, which has provided over $182,000 in funding to schools and programs for STEM supplies and support.