T1-C: A STEM Outreach Program Model: Case Study of a US Army Based STEM Program

Not enough students are selecting STEM careers to meet the needs of an increasingly technological society. There is concern that the anticipated needs for the future research and development workforce will not be met. Coupled with the increase of technical resources for potential adversaries, the lack of students interested in STEM generates national security issues. A strong STEM outreach model may be the most powerful defensive weapon that the United States will have to confront the challenges of the 21st century. Picatinny Arsenal’s STEM Education Office was created at the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC), Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey in 2006. Its outreach mission has grown into a robust program in which hundreds of Picatinny STEM professionals assist in classrooms, support field trips, aid hundreds of teachers, and mentor thousands of students ranging from pre-kindergarten through graduate school. The geographical location of Picatinny Arsenal supports urban, suburban, and rural communities, and allows direct contact with a full range of ethnic, economic, racial, and cultural populations. The purpose of this paper is to document the Picatinny STEM outreach program, lessons learned over the preceding decade, and propose a STEM outreach model as means to circumvent the growing risk. It is the hope of the authors that the program model will aid other organizations in establishing successful outreach programs