(L-R) Andrew Johnston, Amentum, Education Committee, NSC-Huntsville; Dr. Dale Thomas, UAH Propulsion Center deputy director and ASGC director; and Terry Abel, Lockheed Martin, Education Committee, NSC-Huntsville.
Michael Mercier / UAH
The Alabama Space Grant Consortium (ASGC) at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, has received a $20,000 donation from the National Space Club – Huntsville, marking the second year in a row the group has made this donation to the ASGC. The funds help provide a long-term K-12 STEM engagement plan for the state that leverages the ASGC’s connections to eight higher education institutions across Alabama, including two Historically Black Colleges and Universities, to offer scholarships and fellowships supporting dozens of STEM and education-focused undergraduate and graduate students each year.
The ASGC, formed in 1989 when NASA implemented the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, is a voluntary association of eight state research universities, along with other community colleges, as well as industry and government organizations. The mission of the ASGC is to inspire, enable and educate Alabama students to take up careers in space science, aerospace technology and allied fields to help ensure future U.S. leadership in space exploration and aerospace technology.
The organization’s K-12 Engagement Plan provides teacher professional development and enables ASGC-supported students to act as “outreach ambassadors” in goals related to research, education and workforce development.
From Jan. 2025 to Aug. 2025, the group traveled nearly 1,700 miles to bring made presentations to 24 school systems across the state, providing space exploration outreach to 2,266 4th-12th grade students.
“It sparked genuine excitement for science and engineering in my students!” says Jordan Pak of the Florence Freshman Center in Florence, Ala. “The visit was incredibly meaningful for them and truly brought NASA’s work to life in our classroom.”
Along with the new funds, the ASGC aims to utilize the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) and Black Belt STEM Institute to reach more schools and teachers than ever before, setting an outreach goal of 4,000 students between Aug. 2025 and June 2026. The program has been designed with multiple themes in mind to cover all grades, including a presentation on the solar system for K - 5th grades, coding a Mars rover for 6th - 12th learners, and mapping the Milky Way to help explain dark matter for 8th - 12th grade students.
The National Space Club - Huntsville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports the aerospace community by promoting STEM education, stimulating the advancement of rocketry and astronautics, and recognizing achievements in the field. It provides scholarships and supports youth education through various local programs, while also serving as a networking hub for government, industry and educational professionals. The chapter encourages U.S. space leadership and honors individuals and organizations that have contributed to space exploration.