While in the past the Air Force's technologically intensive mission has been highly attractive to individuals educated in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, force reductions, ongoing military operations, and budget pressures are creating new challenges for attracting and managing personnel with the needed technical skills. The growing complexity of both traditional and emerging missions is placing new demands on education, training, career development, system acquisition, platform sustainment, and development of operational systems. The Air Force requires technical skills and expertise across the entire range of activities and processes associated with the development, fielding, and employment of air, space, and cyber operational capabilities. Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences.Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.Upcoming events include the Utah State University Physics Day at the Lagoon on May 13, and “STEM City” at the Warriors Over the Wasatch Air & Space Show June 25-26, where there will be more than 20 STEM exhibits on display.Help Ordering Information New Releases Browse by Division Browse by Topic The volunteers are allowed to use administrative leave to help at these events.
Volunteers from the base who work in STEM fields provide over 3,000 volunteers hours each year to support outreach events such as science fairs, classroom presentations, career fairs, robotics competitions and team mentoring, tours, and tutoring. “STEM outreach can spark interest and inform students at a young age encouraging them to choose a STEM pathway and consider an Air Force civilian career.” “Many students don’t know what they don’t know,” she said. The WiSE program hosts several “STEM, It’s What We Do” meet-and-greet events every year to give high school girls an opportunity to meet Hill women who are STEM professionals in a casual setting. Sturgeon said that studies show girls in particular need to see women role models who work in STEM-related career fields in order to see themselves there someday. “Hill will never be able to have our mission critical STEM workforce of the future if we don’t get more students in general interested in STEM, but with girls continuing to be such a small percentage of the STEM workforce, specific programs for girls are essential.”
“Currently only 9% of all engineers and scientists on base are women,” said Sturgeon. Seven years ago the program started WiSE, better known as Women in Science and Engineering, with the intent to generate interest for girls in STEM by providing them networking opportunities, career advancement education, and inspiration. One of the focuses for the STEM outreach office is to increase opportunities for young women. These are well paid, respected positions with excellent benefits that provide for work-life balance.” “STEM careers provide hundreds of opportunities in thousands of industries. “I like to call STEM careers the golden ticket,” she said. The STEM program works to provide that why,” said Sturgeon. “Students need a ‘why’ when choosing to study what are considered harder classes such as calculus and physics. Hill’s STEM outreach extends to all grade levels and includes such programs as STARBASE that educates 1,600 of the area’s 5 th grade students each year and the premier Air Force STEM program called LEGACY, an apprenticeship-type program for students age 11 through college graduation. She also coordinates with government and educational entities in Utah to ensure Hill’s STEM opportunities and needs are front and center as Utah’s largest employer. The program also educates teachers, school counselors and parents about the numerous STEM paths that are available.Īlison Sturgeon, Hill AFB STEM program manager, oversees funding and execution of over 30 local programs. Participating in nearly 150 events annually, the outreach program encourages students to picture their future selves in a STEM-related career field. With Hill Air Force Base needing to hire hundreds of science, technology, engineering and math professionals each year, the STEM outreach office here is inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals by encouraging STEM learning through its education and mentoring programs.
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