Tag: Club for the Future

AIAA and Club for the Future Announce Recipient of 2024 Resilient Student Scholarship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 9, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and Blue Origin’s non-profit Club for the Future are pleased to announce the recipient of their 2024 Resilient Student Scholarship is Rylie Tatum from Mableton, GA. Rylie is a recent high school graduate of The Lovett School, Atlanta, GA. She will attend Princeton University in the Fall.

“We created the AIAA and Club for the Future’s Resilient Student Scholarship with a strong commitment to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the aerospace industry. As our newest scholarship, it’s specifically designed to empower and inspire students who have faced unique challenges including disabilities and socioeconomic circumstances, as well as first-generation college students. We’re thrilled to present this $10,000 scholarship and a professional mentor to Rylie. We can’t wait to see how she shapes the future of aerospace,” said Laura McGill, chair, AIAA Foundation.

Throughout high school, Rylie took the highest-level STEM courses available. She formed a robotics team at her school and has been captain of the FIRST Tech Challenge team for three years. In this role, she encourages and leads a female team. At the 2022 FIRST National Championships, Rylie conducted a presentation, “Where Are All of the Black Girls in Robotics,” where she highlighted academic research and her personal experiences to illustrate how to support and motivate girls to get into robotics.

When Rylie realized that a lack of feminine care products leads to young women missing out on their education, she began creating an app to network organizations across Atlanta to increase product access for them. “As a Black girl interested in engineering, I have experience in being the only representation in the room, but a lack of women in the engineering field partially stems from female students avoiding STEM-related classes,” noted Rylie. “Constant absenteeism for a week per month results in discouragement for aspiring female engineers, so the idea of period poverty restricting others from studying engineering prompted me to take action.” Over the last three years, she has led annual feminine care drives with the Girl Up club to provide 18,000 products and benefit 4,000 girls. She also hopes to design period product dispensers that will use sensors, capture datasets for trends, and use automation to solve a significant problem that does not receive the visibility and investment that it deserves.

Rylie’s ultimate goal is to earn her Ph.D. in Aerospace, Astronautical, or Mechanical Engineering to conduct colonization models on the moon. She aspires to be the first African American female astronaut of Caribbean descent to work on the moon or Mars and encourage and enable the next generation of STEMinists.

“We are incredibly proud to award Rylie Tatum with this scholarship, recognizing her remarkable achievements in advocating for young women,” said Michael Edmonds, President of Club for the Future. “Our collaboration with AIAA to create the Resilient Student Scholarship is focused on fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within STEAM careers. Rylie is already an inspiration for the next generation, and we look forward to seeing her impact grow. Congratulations, Rylie!”

The 2025 Resilient Student Scholarship will be open for applicants in December 2024.

Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA
AIAA is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About Club for the Future
Founded by Blue Origin, Club for the Future is a non-profit with the mission to inspire and mobilize future generations to pursue careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) for the benefit of Earth. The Club and its partners are doing this through the Postcards to Space program, providing space-focused lessons and events, and activating ambassadors around the world.

Space4All Space STEM Awareness Campaign Launches Nationwide

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The U.S. Department of Education and four nonprofit space organizations are spotlighting
the benefits of space and STEM career opportunities

April 17, 2024 – WASHINGTON – Women in Aerospace (WIA), the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Club for the Future, and Space Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education, are launching a new national space STEM awareness campaign, Space4All, that aims to increase understanding about the benefits of space for life on Earth. The campaign was first announced on April 8 when Vice President Kamala Harris issued a Call to Action to bring the benefits of space to communities across America. The campaign will spotlight the relevance, impact, and accessibility of space and highlight pathways to success in space-related STEM education and careers. There will be a specific focus on reaching underrepresented communities to ensure equitable, diverse, and inclusive growth within the space industry.

The five-year public awareness campaign was initiated by the National Space Council and aligns to the Interagency Roadmap to Support Space-Related STEM Education and Workforce with the goal to Inspire, Prepare and Employ a diverse space workforce. The campaign is now spearheaded through a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Education and these four nonprofit space organizations. More than 150 additional corporate, federal, and community-based organizations have joined the campaign as Space Champions.

As the lead government partner, the U.S. Department of Education adds expertise in connecting with students and preparing them for future success. “Our nation prospers when all students know and understand that they belong in STEM fields and that careers in space offer boundless opportunities for their success,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten.

“The Space4All awareness campaign is historic, inclusive, and mission-specific – fill the workforce gap in space,” said WIA Board Chair and SAIC Vice President of Business Development Transformation Bridget Chatman. “WIA and SAIC are fully committed to working alongside our partners and the government to develop a STEM- and space-literate nation. We will continue to lead by addressing the student pipeline and workforce gaps that our nation faces today in real and impactful ways.”

AIAA CEO Dan Dumbacher stressed the timeliness of this initiative, pointing out that “By 2025, the U.S. STEM workforce will need 3.5 million new workers. We need to attract all of the brightest minds to join this exciting industry, especially from traditionally underrepresented communities. Today, only 16 percent of aerospace and defense workers are Black and Hispanic. The aerospace industry can do better, and we must address the lack of STEM-literate workers immediately with long-term solutions.”

“Our mission at Club for the Future is to inspire and mobilize future generations to pursue STEM careers to harness space for the benefit of Earth. We’re excited to partner with likeminded organizations to create opportunities for students to join the future space workforce,” said Michael Edmonds, President of Blue Origin’s Club for the Future.

“This is a pivotal moment for the space industry,” added Heather Pringle, CEO of the Space Foundation. “Commercial and government space entities face a complex and demanding future, with an accelerating space economy coupled with a shrinking talent pool and fierce competition for individuals with the right skills and experience. When we also consider the declining number of students pursuing STEM degrees, we need all hands on deck. Space Foundation is proud to collaborate with the Space4All campaign to raise awareness of our ongoing efforts and amplify our recent partnership with Space Workforce 2030 so we include more audiences in the many exciting opportunities throughout the space industry.”

Corporate champions are including the Space4All message in their ongoing activities and community outreach. The campaign is also attracting commercial champions that are not traditionally involved in space, including BET News and Documentaries and 23XI Racing, among others. Early efforts will bring an immediate boost to visibility and reach for the campaign.

- On April 21, Leidos, 23XI Racing, and AIAA will help promote Space4All during the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega, introducing the campaign to a crowd of approximately 100,000 at the track and 4.5M viewing the broadcast.

On May 3, National Space Day, fourth and fifth grade classes across the country can join in exploring the wonders of space through a 45-minute broadcast through YouTube at 1 p.m. ET, supported by a special curriculum packet and educational materials. This event, led by Space Workforce 2030, will include a Q&A between kids and America’s space experts.

In addition, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Association of Science and Technology Centers will be key champions in reaching students and families across the country, especially those in underrepresented communities. Boys & Girls Clubs serve 3.3 million young people each year, and ASTC represents more than 600 museums and science centers that engage more than 110 million people annually. The Space4All campaign and its corporate champions will work with these and numerous other nonprofit organizations to offer support and resources to increase focus on space STEM content and hands-on activities.

The campaign will also work with influencers and celebrities to further the reach of the Space4All message. Notable names include Emily Calandrelli (The Space Gal), Leland Melvin, Maynard Okereke (Hip Hop MD), Dr. Sian Proctor, and William Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr.

Dr. Sian Proctor, Inspiration4 mission pilot and first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft, helped launch the campaign with this video. As the Space4All movement accelerates, resources and events will be added to the campaign website, Space4All.us.

Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected]

About Space4All
Space4All is a national space STEM awareness campaign, managed through a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Education and four nonprofit organizations – Women in Aerospace, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Blue Origin’s Club for the Future, and Space Foundation. Space4All was developed around these essential themes:

Space holds the keys to solving global challenges, discovering life-changing scientific breakthroughs, and creating leading-edge technologies that revolutionize life here on Earth.
Space is an important part of our lives, our communities, and our future.
Space offers inspiring and financially rewarding careers for all types of skills and occupations including scientists, engineers, software developers, architects, physicians, machinists, technicians, welders, seamstresses, fashion designers, financial professionals, and many more.

For more information, visit Space4All.us.

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

AIAA Announces $10,000 Scholarship in Partnership with Blue Origin’s Club for the Future

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 16, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation announced today a partnership with Blue Origin’s nonprofit Club for the Future to provide a $10,000 scholarship each year to one high school senior who has demonstrated an interest in pursuing a career in aerospace engineering. The scholarship is known as “AIAA and Club for the Future’s Resilient Student Scholarship.”

Students can apply here. Applications are due by 31 January 2024.

Any high school senior enrolling in a STEM program at a college, university, or technical institution who matches other qualifying criteria will be eligible. In addition to the $10,000 award, the recipient will be matched with an AIAA professional member to serve as a mentor. The scholarship will be offered to high school seniors who are AIAA members; high school membership in AIAA is free. The scholarship is specifically designed to empower and inspire students who have faced unique challenges, including but not limited to: students with disabilities; from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds, gender minorities, or disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances; and first-generation college students.

Students who apply for this scholarship will be asked to describe why they are interested in aerospace and write about their vision for their future career in the aerospace field. They also must submit a short personal essay on their values of compassion, tenacity, and resilience, and how they have used one or all of these traits to problem-solve or accomplish something in their life.

This scholarship follows other support for aerospace young talent development provided to the AIAA Foundation by Blue Origin’s Club for the Future, including a $1 million grant in 2021 for educational programs.

“Club for the Future is proud to empower future innovators to explore the boundless opportunities of space through STEM careers for the benefit of Earth,” said Heather Nelson, director of Club for the Future.

Basil Hassan, chair, AIAA Foundation, recognizes that the scholarship partnership with Blue Origin’s Club for the Future offers an exciting pathway to develop new engineering talent for the aerospace industry. “Giving students a chance to focus their immediate future on aerospace has been one of the goals of the AIAA Foundation since its inception in 1996,” he said. “We have chosen National Scholarship Month to roll out this new program as a way of bringing extra attention to a life-defining opportunity for a graduating high school student. The recipient of this scholarship will be able to explore aerospace engineering in greater detail and develop their expertise in one of the fastest growing industries in the world.”

For more information, visit aiaa.org/foundation.

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About Club for the Future
Founded by Blue Origin, Club for the Future is a foundation whose mission is to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM for the benefit of Earth. The Club and its collaborators are doing this through Postcards to Space, space-inspired lessons and events, and access to space on Blue Origin’s rockets. For more information visit, ClubforFuture.org.

AIAA Statement on Blue Origin’s Successful NS-22 Mission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UPDATED: August 8, 2022 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Executive Director Dan Dumbacher made the following statement:

“On behalf of the 30,000 professional and student members of AIAA, we congratulate the Blue Origin team on its successful NS-22 mission.

This mission is especially meaningful to AIAA because several of our first Trailblazing STEM Educator Award winners attended in person. We were pleased to present this new award with Challenger Center earlier this year, celebrating K-12 teachers going above and beyond to inspire the next generation of explorers and innovators. Today, Jackie Blumer, Jennifer Cheesman, Cedric Turner, and Katrina Harden Williams witnessed an incredible step toward seeing millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We can’t wait to see how they use their experience to spark their students’ curiosity about STEM subjects, as they help shape the future of aerospace.

AIAA is also honored to be one of Blue Origin’s Club for the Future partner organizations to help develop and inspire the next generation of space professionals.”

Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Statement on Blue Origin’s Successful NS-20 Mission

March 31, 2022 – Reston, Va. –The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Executive Director Dan Dumbacher made the following statement:

“On behalf of the 30,000 professional and student members of AIAA, we congratulate the Blue Origin team on its successful NS-20 mission. This mission continues building on Blue Origin’s vision to see millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. Through this mission, we are seeing Blue Origin’s progress opening up access to space travel for more even people from all walks of life.

We are especially thrilled to follow George Nield’s journey as part of the NS-20 astronaut crew. Dr. Nield is a member of the AIAA Board of Trustees, a lifetime member of the Institute, and an AIAA Fellow. We can’t wait to hear about his experience!

Astronaut training, day two. Credit: Blue Origin–© — Astronaut training, day two. | Credit: Blue Origin–©

We recognize the dedicated aerospace industry professionals involved in making today’s mission a success. We salute our corporate member, Blue Origin, and their entire team, for helping shape the future of aerospace.

AIAA is honored to be one of Blue Origin’s Club for the Future partner organizations to help develop and inspire the next generation of space professionals.”

Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About ASCEND Powered by AIAA, ASCEND promotes the collaborative, interdisciplinary, outcomes-driven community of professionals, students, and enthusiasts around the world who are accelerating humanity’s progress toward our off-world future! For more information, visit ascend.events, or follow ASCEND on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About AIAA The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Video

New Shepard Mission NS-20 Webcast Replay (Blue Origin via YouTube)

AIAA Statement on Blue Origin’s Successful NS-18 Mission with Virginia Middle School Students’ Postcards Onboard

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 13, 2021 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) congratulates our corporate member Blue Origin on the successful New Shepard mission (NS-18) today. AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher made the following statement:

“On behalf of the 30,000 professional and student members of AIAA, we congratulate the Blue Origin team on its successful NS-18 mission. We believe this mission helps open up access to space travel for more people.

Through our involvement as one of Blue Origin’s Club for the Future partner organizations, AIAA collected postcards decorated with messages and art expressing middle school students’ visions of the future of life in space. The postcards, from students at Farmwell Station Middle School in Ashburn, Virginia, were flown onboard the New Shepard rocket during today’s mission. We’ll return the postcards to them, stamped ‘Flown to Space,’ as part of our collective effort to help develop and inspire the next generation of space professionals.”

Blue-Origin-Launch-13Oct2021-APImages — Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket launches carrying passengers William Shatner, Chris Boshuizen, Audrey Powers and Glen de Vries from its spaceport near Van Horn, Texas, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021. | Credit: LM Otero; Associated Press–©

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About ASCEND
Powered by AIAA, ASCEND promotes the collaborative, interdisciplinary, outcomes-driven community of professionals, students, and serious enthusiasts around the world who are accelerating humanity’s progress toward our off-world future! For more information, visit ascend.events, or follow ASCEND on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

AIAA Foundation Selected to Receive $1 Million from Blue Origin’s Club for the Future

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 14, 2021 – Reston, Va. – Today, AIAA Foundation was selected to receive a $1 million grant from Blue Origin’s Club for the Future. This generous grant will allow the AIAA Foundation to fuel the next generation of space professionals who will create our off-world future. The AIAA Foundation will engage students and educators with new, innovative, and creative STEM education opportunities, as well as expand the robust K-12 and university programs we have enabled for the last 25 years.

“Our recent auction for the first seat on New Shepard resulted in a donation of $28 million to our non-profit foundation, Club for the Future,” said Bob Smith, Blue Origin CEO. “This donation is enabling Club for the Future to rapidly expand its reach by partnering with 19 organizations to develop and inspire the next generation of space professionals. Our generation will build the road to space and these efforts will ensure the next generation is ready to go even further.”

“The AIAA Foundation is honored to receive a $1 million grant from Blue Origin’s Club for the Future,” said John Langford, chair, AIAA Foundation. “This is a perfect example of what we mean when we talk about paying it forward. We are excited by the momentum they have created with these generous donations. Congratulations to all the partner organizations! We applaud Blue Origin’s dedication to igniting student’s imaginations as they help usher in a new era of commercial spaceflight for space tourists, researchers, entrepreneurs, and businesses. This gift allows the AIAA Foundation to multiply our impact on young hearts and minds who see space as more than a dream – rather, a place where they will live, work, and play. We can’t wait to see how the students we reach together will lead space innovation in the 21st century!”

“On behalf of the 30,000 professional, student, and corporate members of AIAA, we are thrilled to receive this generous grant from Blue Origin’s Club for the Future,” said Dan Dumbacher, AIAA Executive Director. “We are energized at AIAA about this opportunity to impact today’s students – who will make up the teams – who will become the most technically proficient, professionally equipped, and culturally diverse workforce on the planet. Our STEM education programs focus on outreach to students of all backgrounds, especially from underserved and underrepresented groups, helping ensure space is available for all. Today’s students will tackle tomorrow’s challenges of living and working in low Earth orbit, on the moon, and beyond. Our off-world future is looking bright!”

About Club for the Future
Founded by Blue Origin in 2019, Club for the Future is a nonprofit foundation whose mission is to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM and to help invent the future of life in space. The Club and its collaborators are doing this through Postcards to Space, space-focused curriculum, and access to space on Blue Origin’s rockets. For more information visit, ClubforFuture.org.

About Blue Origin
Blue Origin was founded by Jeff Bezos with the vision of enabling a future where millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth. To preserve Earth, Blue Origin believes that humanity will need to expand, explore, find new energy and material resources, and move industries that stress Earth into space. On July 20, Blue Origin will fly its first astronaut crew on board New Shepard to space and back. To watch the launch live on July 20 or sign up for updates visit BlueOrigin.com.

About AIAA Foundation
The AIAA Foundation inspires and supports the next generation of aerospace professionals. From classroom to career, the AIAA Foundation enables innovative K-12 and university programming, including STEM classroom grants, scholarships, conferences, and hands-on competitions. Founded in 1996, the AIAA Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organization connected to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell