FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jun 23, 2016

Commitments will expand the Obama Administration’s efforts to support STEM and Maker initiatives

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of the National Week of Making, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) – the federal agency that administers AmeriCorps and leads United We Serve, President Obama’s call to service – today announced seven commitments from federal agencies to support FedServe: One Million Hours of STEM Volunteering campaign.

Joining CNCS, in today’s announcement are the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

CNCS, the federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service each year, will host an agency-wide “Make the Pledge Day” – gathering commitments from its employees to volunteer with youth in their communities. In addition, on Friday, June 24, CNCS will co-host the third annual FedServe Interagency STEM Volunteer Fair with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help connect federal employees with nonprofits and schools who are in need of their skills and talents. More than two dozen local volunteer organizations will be on-hand to recruit volunteers.

Below are details about commitments made by other federal agencies:

  • NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy will pilot a training program to equip federal STEM professionals with the tools, knowledge and strategies to serve as STEM role models for girls in their communities.  In the fall of 2016, NASA facilitators will train 30 federal STEM professionals, nominated by their agencies, to become STEM model trainers within their agencies.
     
  • The Environmental Protection Agency’s STEM Outreach Program in Research Triangle Park (RTP) increases STEM awareness, educates, and inspires K-12 and university students. Annually, nearly 200 EPA-RTP employees participate in more than 500 STEM events and have contributed nearly 20,000 hours providing hands-on educational programming, mentoring students, judging science competitions, and training educators. To support the FedServe campaign, EPA will continue to partner with schools and community organizations to support their mission of protecting human health and the environment.
     
  • The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Administration will launch the VA Innovators Network to harness the ingenuity of VA employees in STEM career fields, as well as those across the Department, to build efficiencies and enhance the lives of Veterans. Through a multi-organization partnership with H.D. ‎Woodson High School in Washington, DC; General Services Administration (GSA) and Google, the VA will build an online platform to connect its employees with community partners and volunteers to prototype the unique ideas that are generated.
     
  • U.S. Department of Defense has engaged scientists, engineers, and other professionals from across all Army, Navy, and Air Force components and DoD agencies in an estimated 562,000 hours of STEM volunteering from April 2015 through April 2016. Employees volunteered at science fairs, the USA Science and Engineering Festival, Week at the Labs, workshops and other speaking engagements, as well as through programs like Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program, FIRST Robotics Competitions, Gains in the Education of Mathematics & Science, Junior Science & Humanities Symposium, Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program and Air Force K-12 programs.
     
  • The U.S. Department of Energy will ask all employees to share information about FedServe: One Million Hours of STEM Volunteering and reiterate their support of STEM education initiatives

CNCS launched FedServe: One Million Hours of STEM Volunteering campaign in response to the President’s call to action to engage 200,000 federal scientists and engineers to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals. In addition, CNCS leads an interagency working group, with more than 20 representatives, focused on advancing the goal of the campaign, creating a community for sharing best practices, policies, volunteer opportunities and lessons learned on STEM volunteering across the federal government. For more information about FedServe, visit NationalService.gov/fedserve.

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The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs, and leads the President’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.

AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.