Maryland Members Announce Nearly $130,000 for NASA Partnership with University of Baltimore, UMES to Support Students Pursuing STEM Careers

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, and Andy Harris (all Md.) announced $129,731 to fund partnerships between NASA and Maryland universities to support young students’ dreams of entering careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The funds will support the University of Baltimore’s Space Tech Camp – an initiative geared towards helping Baltimore City Public School students in Grades 10 and 11 learn about NASA’s Artemis program by working on augmented reality (AR) projects and the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore’s HAWKS MUREP Precollege Summer Institute – a two-week residential program with learning activities on space exploration, aeronautics, and Earth science.

“Fostering students’ love for science at a young age is critical to inspiring the next generation of innovative thinkers. For young scientists, especially those from underserved communities, learning in an enriching environment at one of Maryland’s outstanding universities can help progress their academic trajectory or career goals and ultimately develop a more diverse pipeline of Marylanders in the STEM fields. That’s why we continue to fight for resources for programs like these to help expand these unique opportunities for young students as they choose their future careers,” said the lawmakers. 

These funds are distributed through the Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) and are administered through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement – which Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, and Kweisi Mfume secured an additional $10 million for in the FY22 appropriations legislation. MUREP is designed to help increase the number of students pursuing STEM careers from traditionally underrepresented and underserved communities through pre-college summer programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs).