Congressman Lowenthal Amendment Directs $5M To Bolster STEM Education In 47th District
The amendment, part of the annual Department of Defense (DoD) appropriation bill (H.R. 2397), passed the House on a bipartisan voice vote July 23. The amendment reallocates already appropriated DoD general operations funds for the STARBASE program.
In the 47th District, a brand new STARBASE Youth Program Facility is under construction at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB). The facility, expected to serve 4,000 students a year, is being funded by $1 million in state funds and $750k in DOD funds.
"I spent my entire professional career as an educator, and have seen firsthand the life-changing benefits education can bring to the lives of students. This revenue-neutral amendment makes a significant step toward providing and engaging America's youth with the tools they need to pursue careers in STEM; a field where jobs are available and there is a significant lack of trained workers," Congressman Lowenthal said.
The STARBASE program is run at student academies in 79 Congressional districts throughout the nation set up on existing military bases and focuses on elementary students, primarily fifth graders. The goal of the program is to motivate these students to explore Science, Technology, Engineering and Math as they continue their education. The academies serve students that are historically under-represented in STEM. Students who live in inner cities or rural locations, those who are socio-economically disadvantaged, low in academic performance, or have a disability are in the target group.
"Congressman Lowenthal's hard work in support of Southern California youth programs will enable thousands of future leaders to acquire a first-rate education and gain important life skills to help them realize their full potential," California National Guard Adjunct General Maj. Gen. David S. Baldwin said.
"Congressman Lowenthal's efforts will make a real-world difference in these students' lives, and I want to personally thank him for his leadership." The Department of Defense (DOD) has invested in this program because the U.S. is lagging behind in graduating students in the STEM fields. These are critical subject areas for DOD as it has more vacant positions in the STEM fields than any other entity. The National Guard was chosen to run the program because it is a community based program and 5th grade was chosen because it is the age that directly precedes the time when students begin selecting subject matter electives in middle and high school. Thus, the program encourages students to select STEM subjects when they enter high school, college and make decisions about their career trajectory. This program is critical for helping train young Americans in the sciences so they can help our country remain competitive throughout the world.
A recent Brookings Institute study said that 'as of 2011, 26 million U.S. jobs (20 percent of all jobs) require a high level of knowledge in any one STEM field.'