$5 million NASA grant to expand STEM access for underserved teens
Many teenagers have limited access to opportunities to explore NASA science and pursue STEM careers. A new NASA grant to Sonoma State University’s EdEon STEM Learning aims to address persistent inequities in science education by opening pathways to hands-on research and mentorship.
Sonoma State researchers Lynn Cominsky, professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and EdEon founder, and Laura Peticolas, director of EdEon STEM Learning, will lead the five-year, $4,997,177 project “NASA Science and Engineering for All: Pathways for Teen Participation in NASA Science (NSEA).”
“I am thrilled that we can expand our NASA-focused work with underserved teens across California and beyond, providing real-world science and engineering experiences with universal design support,” Peticolas said.
The NASA Science Activation project will connect teens with NASA experts, emerging technologies, and specialized tools, offering authentic research experiences that bridge informal education and professional exploration. NSEA also aims to build students’ confidence and sense of belonging in the STEM community.
Just over $1 million is allocated for the first year. NSEA will pursue a broad-to-deep, scalable pathway structured from hands-on activities to deeper research through two complementary programs designed to engage students in STEM beyond the classroom.
Science by Roving (SbyR), the project's first pathway, will engage students at six sites in California, Ohio, and Texas through educator-led modules. Students will build and operate sensor-equipped rovers, design instruments, collect measurements, and analyze data to investigate questions related to NASA missions. Through participatory design research (PDR), researchers, program developers, educators, and youth will co-create and refine the activities to promote mutual learning, empowerment, creativity, and collaboration.
Participants will come from rural and public charter schools, including those in communities with fewer economic resources, and specialized programs serving students with learning differences. California participants include Round Valley High School in Covelo and Stanbridge Academy in San Mateo. Shelton School in Dallas represents Texas. Ohio participants include Lordstown High School, Austintown Local Schools, and Northeast Ohio Impact Academy. Advanced Methods in Innovation (AMI), EdEon’s technical partner, will support rover development and instructional resources.
Students can advance from SbyR to the AI Pioneers Internship, which will offer mentored summer research placements to about 10 teens each year. Interns will work with NASA subject matter experts to apply artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to NASA data. They may also attend monthly AI-focused seminars.
“NSEA brings together the best of EdEon’s recent projects, including Learning by Making (LbyM), STEMACES and NASA’s Neurodiversity Network (N3),” Cominsky said.
Both Learning by Making and STEMACES were originally inspired by EdEon’s NASA CubeSat work, making it “really cool” as Cominsky described it, to see the work developed for the U.S. Department of Education return to NASA projects and “completing the circle.”