CANBERRA, Australia – June 29, 2018 – The Northrop Grumman Foundation announced that it is sponsoring two students and one teacher from The Canobolas Rural Technology High School in Orange, New South Wales, and two students and one teacher from Sunshine College, in Melbourne, Victoria, to attend Space Camp® at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. This is the fourth year the Northrop Grumman Foundation has supported Australian students and teachers to participate in the program, which aims to excite and inspire the next generation of space leaders, explorers, scientists, teachers and engineers.
“We are thrilled to be able to support passionate Australian students and teachers in building their skills and interest in space,” said Ian Irving, chief executive, Northrop Grumman Australia. “Northrop Grumman remains committed to empowering the next generation of leaders in STEM who’ll go on to contribute to advancements in science and technology, vital to Australia’s future prosperity and security.”
Wes Bush, chairman and chief executive officer, Northrop Grumman, presented the Space Camp® participants with their official Space Packs in Canberra yesterday. The participants will join over 150 Northrop Grumman Foundation-sponsored students and teachers to take part in the week-long program starting Saturday, July 7. The recipients from The Canobolas Rural Technology High School are year seven and eight students Ella Draper and Mark Selmes, and their teacher Matt Scott; and the recipients from Sunshine College are year eight students Miette Petrarca and Talita Tran, and their teacher George Hatzikostas.
Space Camp® provides students with real-world opportunities to apply their skills and knowledge in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and their interest in space, in a series of interactive exercises. Students will have the chance to build and launch rockets, use astronaut-training equipment and conduct a simulated space shuttle mission. Teachers attending Space Camp® take part in the Space Academy for Educators, a program that provides them with the tools to enhance how they present STEM concepts in their classrooms.
2018 is the 10th year the Northrop Grumman Foundation has sponsored the Space Camp® program.
Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation are committed to expanding and enhancing the pipeline of diverse, talented STEM students globally. They provide funding to sustainable STEM programs that span from preschool to high school and through collegiate levels, with a major emphasis on middle school students and teachers. In 2017, Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation continued outreach efforts by contributing over $20.4 million to diverse STEM-related groups such as the Air Force Association and CyberPatriot, the REC Foundation (VEX Robotics), National Science Teachers Association, Great Minds in STEM (Viva Technology) and EarthEcho International’s Expeditions.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, strike, and logistics and modernization to customers worldwide. Please visit news.northropgrumman.com and follow us on Twitter, @NGCNews, for more information.