USACE Galveston District sponsors Great Minds in STEM event

Published Sept. 17, 2013
GALVESTON, Texas (Sept. 17, 2013) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District is sponsoring a Great Minds in STEM event Sept. 19 from 6-7:30 p.m., and Sept. 20 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at The Rice School, 7550 Seuss Drive, in Houston.

“The two-day event, which is part of the National STEM Awareness Program, will focus on mentoring teams of students as they compete in hands-on science, technology, engineering and math-related activities,” said Eduardo Irigoyen, USACE Galveston District STEM liaison. “It’s a great opportunity for me to mentor not only our future generation but also their parents, who are key components to encouraging the pursuit of STEM careers."  

A parent orientation Thursday evening will offer an overview of the various career opportunities within STEM as well as discuss the importance of parental encouragement in helping students reach their goals of pursuing STEM careers.

“Our partnership with Great Minds in STEM has committed us to keeping America technologically strong by promoting STEM careers especially in underserved communities and motivating students to pursue professions in STEM,” said Irigoyen. “Now in our sixth year, we’ve seen real progress toward enlightening families, educators, communities and employers to assist underserved students pursuing STEM careers.”

The district’s staff participates in more than 30 STEM-related events throughout the year ranging from judging science fairs to presenting as guest speakers, with the goal of mentoring youth and attracting females and minorities to work in STEM-related fields.

In August, the USACE Galveston District signed a Cooperation Agreement with Texas A&M – Corpus Christi (a Hispanic-serving institution), to commit the two organizations to work together to enhance opportunities for minority students throughout the Corps – making this the third partnership between the district and higher education institutions since last year (Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern University), to help close the employment gap in underrepresented populations within the Corps.

Learn more about the USACE Galveston District’s educational partnership agreements at http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/About/Partners/UniversityPartnerships.aspx. For more news and information, visit www.swg.usace.army.mil. Find us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/GalvestonDistrict  or follow us on Twitter, www.twitter.com/USACEgalveston.

Release no. 13-066