Donate to the West Virginia Space Grant Consortium
The NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium (WVSGC or Consortium) is a NASA- sponsored organization established in August 1991. It is comprised of twelve West Virginia academic institutions and eight corporate and scientific partners. WVSGC is dedicated to building research infrastructure and promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education in West Virginia. The Consortium's primary focus is on building research infrastructure, collaborations with high-technology industries, student fellowships, as well as K-12 and public outreach programs. This is consistent with the strategic vision for the state’s participation in the nation’s current and future endeavors in science and technology. During the 2018-2019 cycle, WVSGC K-12 and public outreach programs directly impacted 147 in-service teachers, 13 preservice teachers, 51informal educators, and 3,482 K-12 students. Also, 164 college students were directly impacted by our programs either by receiving research fellowships and/or by participating in one of our NASA-related projects.
The success of WVSGC in promoting NASA research in West Virginia has resulted in overwhelming demand and enthusiasm for our support to enable WVSGC students to interact with NASA. The objective of WVSGC’s Higher Education Program is to enhance higher education capabilities in the STEM in West Virginia. WVSGC is in a unique position to initiate and support innovative programs that enable West Virginia students to engage in hands-on experiences that will better prepare them for careers at NASA, its contractors, and other high-technology companies. Before Space Grant, programs such as the Student Balloon Satellite Program and the Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) have never been available to West Virginia students. In the past several years we have placed students at several NASA facilities, including JPL, Goddard, Ames, Kennedy, Marshall, Langley, Glenn, and the IV & V Facility in Fairmont, WV.
To impart students with practical experience and help them better understand what they have been taught in the classroom, NASA WVSGC students have competed for, and been awarded, summer internships at high technology companies in West Virginia. The industry internships provide students with meaningful research and development activities, along with mentorship from their company supervisors. Our internship partners include the WV High Technology Consortium Foundation, Bombardier, and the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University. The main feature of our work in this area has been recruiting scientists at our partner companies to work with our students, not only as research supervisors but also as career mentors. In our experience, building these mentoring relationships have benefited our students tremendously, and has opened new horizons and career paths for them.
An example of our outreach activities is our sponsorship of the Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI) at Bluefield State College, a minority-serving institution. The mission of the ELI is to provide African-American students majoring in NASA-related disciplines with opportunities for leadership development. These students visit area high schools and talk to minority students to encourage them to attend college and serve as role models for them. The Institute offers a comprehensive curricular program grounded in leadership theory and practice, and it promotes civic service, enhances academic productivity, and emphasizes the ethical responsibilities of individuals and organizations.
West Virginia Space Grant Consortium
G-68 Engineering Sciences Building
P.O. Box 6070
Morgantown, WV 26506-6070
Phone: (304) 293-4099
The National Space Grant Foundation is a 501(c)3 Corporation. The Foundation Tax ID number is 52-2288711
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