History

Alarmed at the low level of academic achievement of the young students in his district, then U.S. Congressman Louis Stokes advocated the creation of a unique program focused on the areas of mathematics and science. Consequently, the NASA Science, Engineering, Mathematics, and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA) was established in Cleveland in 1993 as a joint venture between NASA Glenn Research Center and Cuyahoga Community College. Since its inception, the program has been recognized as a nationally renowned leader in the efforts to increase the participation in and retention of historically underserved K-12 youth in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). SEMAA has now grown from a single site to a national organization with 24 sites in 16 states and the District of Columbia. The Albany State University NASA SEMAA site began operations in 2005 through the dedicated efforts of Congressman Sanford Bishop.

Overview

NASA's Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA) is an innovative national program designed specifically to reach K-12 students that are traditionally underrepresented in careers involving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Students meet during school, after school or on Saturday mornings to engage in hands-on, interactive learning sessions that are specifically designed for each grade level. Employing certified K-12 teachers to teach this curriculum, ASU currently offers three separate seven-week sessions during the academic year and four one-week sessions during the summer.

Goals[top]

• Inspire...

  Inspire a more diverse student population to pursue careers in the fields of science, engineering, mathematics and technology so that no child is left behind

• Engage...

  Engage students, teachers and parents by incorporating emerging technologies

• Challenge...

  Provide a challenging curriculum that meets state math, science and technology standards

Core Components

• The NASA SEMAA Curriculum

  The NASA SEMAA program utilizes a series of unique hands-on, inquiry-based classroom curriculum enhancement activities. In addition to being aligned with national math, science, and technology standards, each activity draws heavily on NASA research and encompasses each of NASA's Strategic Enterprises. On average, NASA SEMAA students participate in this classroom curriculum for a total of thirty- six [36] hours each year, twenty- one [21] hours during the academic year and fifteen [15] hours during the summer. NASA SEMAA graduates who have participated in the entire K-12 curriculum will have completed 441 hours of advanced studies in the areas of STEM prior to their enrollment in a post-secondary institution.

• Family Café

  Unique to the NASA SEMAA program, the Family Café is an interactive forum that provides educational and parenting information to adult caregivers and any other supportive, adult role models that are actively involved in the student's life. The Family Café also puts these adults in touch with various local resources and programs that are available for the student.

• Aerospace Education Laboratory (AEL)

  Developed by NASA and equipped with 10 workstations, the AEL is an electronically enhanced, computerized classroom that puts cutting-edge technology at the fingertips of NASA SEMAA middle school and high school aged students. Each computerized research stations provides the NASA SEMAA students with real-life challenges involving science, engineering and mathematics. In addition to being an extraordinary tool for educating middle and high school students, the AEL serves as an excellent training facility for pre-service and in-service teachers on the SEMAA curriculum.

Additional Components[top]

• Outreach Programs

  The NASA SEMAA program provides a variety of special outreach programs, which are conducted in support of local schools, community centers and other program stakeholders for the purpose of improving external STEM education efforts. These customized programs take place in various offsite locations or often in conjunction with the NASA SEMAA Aerospace Education Laboratory (AEL).

• Professional Development

  The NASA SEMAA program provides ongoing professional development for approximately 200 NASA SEMAA teachers each year. This intensive training component is focused on equipping NASA SEMAA teachers with the latest teaching tools and techniques to support their efforts to increase student proficiency in STEM.

NASA SEMAA Office
Albany State University
James Pendergrast Library, Rm. 104
504 College Drive
Albany, Georgia 31705
Phone: (229) 430-2833
Fax: (229) 430-4810
Email: semaa@asurams.edu
Web: www.asurams.edu/semaa