STEM Updates-Caputo's Corner goes to NG

This week, I am participating in the TEAACH program at the Northrop Grumman facility just outside of BWI Airport.  For those of you who don't know Northrop Grumman (NG) is a major defense contractor for the US Government, specializing in all kinds of electronic systems: radar, aircraft, sensors, antennae...you name it, they make it.  The obvious objective is to provide the best possible tactical and technological advantages for our warfighters.  The government has a lot of money to throw around (...ehem?), and contractors like NG are all too willing to take the business.  In fact, 70% of NG's nearly $35 billion in annual sales comes from government/military contracts.  This week features a bunch of teachers (about 40 of us) taking a tour of the facility and getting opportunities to talk to some of the engineers who make it all work

So why are us teachers getting the grand tour?  The reason is pretty simple actually.  One of NG's big pushes in recent years has been to attempt to address the lack of new graduates in engineering and other technical fields.  Companies like NG and many of their competitors are in great need for people with engineering backgrounds to do the work that they do in developing these highly technical products for a very important customer.  That's where we come it.  We deal with some of the most finicky customers there are...students.  Our task is to inspire their curiosity, that's what science is all about.  Companies like NG invite us to take as much advantage of their resources as possible to inspire kids to potential careers in STEM related fields (within reason of course...I don't think they want the plans to a top secret project in the hands of a 12-year old).  They offer site-level visits, student tours, and various grant programs (some of which we have taken advantage of) to get practical science into the hands (and minds) of kids.  It's a great concept.  Unfortunately, not all kids will be gung-ho about it.  That's OK though, our objective is just to EXPOSE kids to career fields that they might not otherwise have been exposed to...and high-paying careers at that. 

In other news, we might be hitting some bumps in the road with the potential end to the lockout...stay tuned.