Educational outreach

Educational Engineering and Science Student Outreach (EESSO)

Educational Outreach serves as a key educational liaison unit for the Missile Defense Agency within Alabama and other southeastern states. EESSO's goal is to expose K-12 students to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, curricula, and activities, to eventually increase the number of American scientists and engineers in the United States. We rely on activities involving students, school site personnel, parents, and others for STEM discipline exposure. We organize our calendar to include activities throughout the year.


EESSO Activities

The MDA’s EESSO team is one part of a wide-reaching initiative to excite students about STEM disciplines. We work to develop new activities and programs as well as support area programs already in place. Our office is focused on supporting programs in Alabama and other southeastern states at this time. For information about STEM resources in other regions please visit www.free.ed.gov or http://usaeop.com/.

 

MDA Math Challenge Week

EESSO’s signature outreach activity is the MDA Math Challenge Week. Eighth grade students, from participating schools and school systems, form classroom-based teams of four. Each team of students outlines a launching field and attempts to hit a target, while applying mathematical skills to determine the three launch point coordinates.

Volunteers from the Missile Defense Agency, other government agencies, local companies, and community volunteers will mentor student teams as they compete. At the end of the week, teams who hit the target most often and whose members exhibit the appropriate disposition toward teamwork while competing will be acknowledged.

For more information about participating in the next MDA Math Challenge week, please contact us.

 

MDA Engineering in Art: 3-D ART IN MOTION

The MDA’s EESSO team is proud to participate in widening students’ understanding of engineering. Engineering in Art is a program aimed to provide upper elementary school students an opportunity to explore visual arts, which are unavailable to many students during the school year and summer.

Each student will work with a variety of media such as drawing, painting, and sculpture. Each art activity reinforces the basic elements of art: color, line, shape, and texture. Examples of artists who employ engineering design principles will be studied.

Through the understanding of art principles, students will be able to identify engineering concepts and applications of those concepts in their own artwork.

For more information about becoming involved with Engineering in Art, please contact us.

 

MDA Target: College

In a bi-monthly, roundtable format, information will be shared with parents of 5th-11th graders regarding STEM careers and related topics. Examples include:

  • Understanding the Impact of High School Course Selection
  • Deciphering Standardized Test Scores
  • Enriching Summer Experiences Through Co-ops, Internships, and Apprenticeships
  • Extracurricular Activities Aiding STEM Academic Abilities
  • Technological Innovations Relevant for Academic Success.

Several topics will be presented by supporting agencies or collaborative partners, such as local high school counselors.

For more information about becoming involved with Target: College, please contact us.

 

In addition to providing direct services and activities, ESSO provides volunteer support to agencies, organizations and schools, including, but not limited to, the following.

 

Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology (BEST) Robotics
Alabama Regional Future City Competition
Huntsville Area Technical Society (HATS) – Science and Technology Education and Training (STEDTRAIN)

Contact Us

We would like to hear from you – Students, Parents, Teachers, Counselors, and other STEM community members.

Are you seeking support for a STEM-related activity? Are you interested in volunteering for one of our upcoming activities? Are you a teacher, parent, or student seeking additional information about our programs and the STEM career fields?

If so, please contact us at educationaloutreach@mda.mil and we will be glad to answer your questions.