[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 139 (Wednesday, September 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1929]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE NASA SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS AND AEROSPACE 
                            ACADEMY (SEMAA)

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CAROLYN C. KILPATRICK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 19, 2007

  Ms. KILPATRICK. Madam Speaker, I respectfully submit the following 
resolution, this 19th Day of September, in the Year of Our Lord, Two 
Thousand and Seven.

 Resolution in Honor of the NASA Science, Engineering, Mathematics and 
              Aerospace Academy (SEMAA) September 19, 2007

       Whereas, the NASA Science, Engineering, Mathematics and 
     Aerospace Academy (SEMAA) is transforming the lives of 
     historically underserved and underrepresented K-12 students, 
     families and communities across America every day; and in 
     many cases is saving the lives of America's youth by getting 
     them off of the streets and supporting them inside the 
     classroom. As an innovative national program designed to 
     increase the participation and retention of historically 
     underserved and underrepresented K-12 youth in the areas 
     of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics 
     (STEM), NASA SEMAA has inspired, engaged and educated over 
     450,000 students, families, and teachers in as many as 18 
     states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the 
     Virgin Islands;
       Whereas, established in 1993 as a joint venture between 
     NASA Glenn Research Center and Cuyahoga Community College, 
     NASA SEMAA has grown from a single site started in Cleveland, 
     Ohio by former Congressman, the Honorable Louis Stokes, to a 
     national organization that is supported by a network of 200+ 
     partners and stakeholders dedicated to improving the academic 
     success of children nationwide. Today, NASA SEMAA can be 
     found at 14 sites located in 11 states and the District of 
     Columbia serving the educational needs in my district and 
     other urban and rural districts. NASA SEMAA site locations 
     include community colleges, four-year colleges and 
     universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities 
     (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal 
     Colleges and Universities (TCUs), elementary and secondary 
     schools, science centers and museums;
       Whereas, NASA SEMAA harnesses the collective resources of 
     NASA, institutions of higher education, science centers, 
     museums, and primary and secondary schools to bridge the 
     education gap for historically underserved and 
     underrepresented K-12 youth in STEM. America is facing a 
     serious shortage of young people entering STEM fields today. 
     This fact, coupled with the high-tech workforce needs of the 
     21st Century and the lagging test scores indicating a lack of 
     STEM proficiency amongst the next generation of leaders and 
     explorers, poses a bleak picture of an America left behind. 
     SEMAA is addressing this critical need by increasing K-12 
     student exposure and interest in STEM by delivering three 
     core components, a K-12 hands-on/minds-on curriculum, a 
     state-of-the-art Aerospace Education Laboratory (AEL) and an 
     innovative Family Cafe;
       Whereas, the inquiry based classroom curriculum is aligned 
     with national standards, and encompasses the research and 
     technology of each of NASA's four Mission Directorates. NASA 
     SEMAA graduates who have participated in the entire K-12 
     curriculum will have completed 441 hours of advanced studies 
     in STEM prior to their enrollment in a post-secondary 
     institution. The AEL is a state-of-the-art, electronically 
     enhanced, computerized classroom that puts cutting-edge 
     technology at the fingertips of NASA SEMAA middle and high 
     school students. The AEL consists of ten computerized 
     research stations that provide NASA SEMAA students with real-
     life aerospace challenges involving science, engineering, 
     mathematics, and NASA technology. The Family Cafe is an 
     interactive forum that provides STEM education and parenting 
     information to parents, guardians, relatives and any 
     supportive, adult role models that the student might have;
       Whereas, the NASA SEMAA program has been ranked as a 2007 
     Innovations in American Government Award Finalist. NASA SEMAA 
     shares this honor with 17 distinguished projects, which 
     collectively represent the top 2% of applicants for this 
     prestigious national award. The award is sponsored by the 
     Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government's Ash 
     Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, and is 
     funded by the Ford Foundation. The purpose of the 
     Innovations in American Government Award Program is to 
     strengthen American democracy by increasing public trust. 
     The annual awards competition recognizes programs that 
     provide concrete evidence that government can work to 
     improve the quality of life for citizens. Of special 
     significance is the fact that NASA SEMAA was the only 
     educational initiative to be recognized as a 2007 
     finalist. NASA SEMAA's success in elevating the education 
     of America's youth to this platform is profound; a 
     platform that addresses such critical issues as fostering 
     renewable energy, improving health care access, promoting 
     affordable housing, and fourteen other extraordinary and 
     deserving innovations; and
       Whereas, we the members of the Congressional Black Caucus 
     extend our sincere appreciation and congratulations to the 
     NASA SEMAA program as well as to their participants and 
     partners: therefore, be it
       Resolved, That we celebrate and honor NASA SEMAA as one of 
     the Nation's premier K-12 STEM educational programs; be it 
     finally
       Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be presented to 
     the Education Office at NASA Headquarters, Educational 
     Programs Office at NASA Glenn Research Center and the 
     National SEMAA Office.

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