{"id":146975,"date":"2024-04-10T14:39:45","date_gmt":"2024-04-10T14:39:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=146975"},"modified":"2024-04-10T15:10:10","modified_gmt":"2024-04-10T15:10:10","slug":"u-s-navys-ssp-empowers-students-with-stem-learning-activities-at-navy-leagues-sea-air-space-expo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=146975","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Navy\u2019s SSP Empowers Students with STEM Learning Activities at Navy League\u2019s Sea-Air-Space Expo"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

This year\u2019s Expo placed sharp focus on the theme of Integrated Maritime Power\u2014in other words, how the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard leverage complementary authorities and capabilities across warfare domains to advance the prosperity, security, and promise of a free and open, rules-based global order.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Sea-Air-Space Expo is an excellent opportunity for students to see STEM in action by seeing how many of the principles they learn are applied to Navy products,\u201d said Dr. Greg Bouton, who leads SSP\u2019s STEM education efforts, guiding programs at headquarters and around the nation.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing represented at the STEM expo gives SSP a unique platform to market and brand the organization as an exciting place to work with a meaningful and very important mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Volunteers from SSP\u2014the Navy command that owns the cradle-to-grave responsibility for the submarine-launched ballistic missile system\u2014had three demonstration stations available for expo attendees. Students were able to build and launch rockets using straws, clay, and index cards; inflate balloons and attach them to 3D printed rockets to watch them fly; and build structures using toothpicks, spaghetti noodles, and marshmallows. These learning activities represent baseline engineering competencies like building structurally sound shapes or understanding how various elements\u2014like adding fins\u2014can affect a rocket\u2019s time and distance traveled.<\/p>\n

Testing these fundamentals relates to the real-world deterrence mission SSP serves\u2014a mission that ties directly to the CNO\u2019s \u201cAmerica\u2019s Warfighting Navy\u201d guidance and contributes to the Navy\u2019s ability to \u201cpreserve the peace, respond in crisis, and\u2014if necessary\u2014win decisively in war.\u201d SSP oversees all aspects of research, development, production, logistics, storage, repair, and operational support of the Strategic Weapons System (SWS) for Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBN). The submarine launched ballistic missile capability represents 70% of the nation\u2019s nuclear triad.<\/p>\n

SSP\u2019s presence at the Expo is a multipurpose benefit for the command. Representation at an expo like\u00a0Sea-Air-Space<\/em>\u00a0not only supports public buy-in and understanding of the mission, it also provides a unique venue to attract the right talent to enable the mission. During a recent\u00a0television interview<\/a>, SSP\u2019s Director Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, Jr also highlighted the command\u2019s need for more \u201cplayers on the field\u201d at SSP.
\u00a0
\u201cWhat we really need today is, we need a very talented workforce that understands the mission\u2014 that is all in,\u201d said Vice Adm. Wolfe.<\/p>\n

Part of SSP\u2019s no-fail mission is not only to deliver capabilities for the strategic deterrence mission at speed and on target but to equip its people with the right skills, tools, training, and mindset to innovate and carry sea-based strategic deterrence through 2084.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause SSP must continue sustainment efforts and develop future technology for the weapons system, it is paramount that we actively execute strategies and tactics to sustain our succession plan as we grow, evolve, and expand our scope to meet current and future developmental needs,\u201d explained Dr. Bouton.<\/p>\n

Nationwide, SSP\u2019s STEM outreach program focuses on local community efforts to generate early interest in the field for students of all ages. SSP\u2019s outreach into the local community has resulted in strong partnerships to provide vital STEM education for students.<\/p>\n

\u201cSSP\u2019s leadership understands the importance of a strong STEM pipeline to ensure the longevity of the organizations future,\u201d said Nicolas Tarver, SSP\u2019s headquarters STEM Team lead.
\u201cIt\u2019s important to have an active presence so that SSP will become more commonly recognized amongst the STEM community, and hopefully attract some of its best talent.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the expo, SSP collaborated with The\u00a0Future Innovative Rising Engineer (FIRE) STEM<\/a>\u00a0Rocket Challenge organization, founded by Ms. Robin Houston, to provide one of the STEM activities during the expo. Houston\u2019s exhibit provided students the opportunity to build miniature rockets, add features like fins to the pencil-sized models, and then launch them to test how mechanics, features, and angle of launch affect trajectory.
\u00a0
Houston launched the FIRE Rocket Challenge program in 2021 to mentor youth from grades 5-12. Her program is tailor-made to reach diverse youth in underrepresented and under-resourced groups to encourage them to pursue careers in a STEM field.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany youths from diverse backgrounds face barriers to participation in high-quality STEM programs for reasons such as program costs\/fees; locations, days, and times the programs are offered; lack of role models they can connect with; and knowledge that programs exist,\u201d Houston said.
\u201cThe Fire Rocket Challenge program breaks down these barriers by providing mentors and coaches who look like the students they support.\u201d<\/p>\n

She stressed the importance of continued support from businesses and organizations that match her program\u2019s dedication to grow diverse talent. Last year, she connected with Tarver at an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics networking event and said collaboration with SSP\u2014including funding support\u2014has been monumental for her program.<\/p>\n

Houston pointed out organizations like FIRE and SSP alike rely on engagement with each other\u2019s missions as the vehicles for casting vision and expectation in young people\u2014and an event like Sea-Air-Space brings that vision to life.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause we are a 100% volunteer organization without a consistent income stream, partnering with organizations like SSP that can provide financial support is critical to our ability to provide quality experiences to youth from families that do not have a lot of discretionary funds left at the end of the month,\u201d said Houston.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese types of alliances allow us to be the boots on the ground to get the job done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Houston emphasized that immersive experiences for students and connection to people working in the industry are all important ways to help unlock the potential these students may not have realized.<\/p>\n

\u201cExposure is the key to dreaming big!\u201d\u00a0
\u00a0<\/p>\n

A special thanks to Ms. Robin Houston (FIRE Rocket Challenge, Straw Rocket Launcher activity); Oscar Wiygul (3D printed balloon rocket activity); Adam Allex (setup and event support); Marvin Turner (setup and event support); Dr. Greg Bouton (SPHQ STEM Outreach education lead) and his daughters (setup, SSP display, marshmallow\/toothpick building station); Kathleen Cushman (SSP memorabilia); and Nick Tarver (SPHQ STEM Outreach lead) for making SSP\u2019s participation in the Sea-Air-Space STEM Expo a reality!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This year\u2019s Expo placed sharp focus on the theme of Integrated Maritime Power\u2014in other words, how the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard leverage complementary authorities and capabilities across warfare domains to advance the prosperity, security, and promise of a free and open, rules-based global order. \u201cThe Sea-Air-Space Expo is an excellent opportunity for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":146977,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-146975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=146975"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146975\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":146978,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146975\/revisions\/146978"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/146977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=146975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=146975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=146975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}