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Educational Outreach at Â鶹´«Ã½strives to empower professionals through dynamic professional development events, fostering collaboration and innovation in STEM education. Â鶹´«Ã½seeks to provide impactful learning experiences and resources that drive meaningful change and elevate educational practices across the state, inspiring and preparing students to solve the problems of a complex global society. 

Educational Outreach at Â鶹´«Ã½seeks to fulfill three overarching goals:

• Exemplify a grassroots approach to educational reform
• Provide a suite of services and resources
• Contribute to Indiana workforce enhancement

In 2023, Educational Outreach at Â鶹´«Ã½received a nearly $230,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Education to help Indiana elementary and secondary school teachers implement computer science educational programs into their own subject, discipline, and grade level.

Through the Designing for Impact program, Â鶹´«Ã½faculty provide in-person professional development workshops to Indiana educators utilizing computer science principles. Some examples include teachers learning how to program robots and teach robotic programming through Botball and applying principles of the Python computer programming language.

Previous workshops have included sessions on cybersecurity, integrating computer science principles into the classroom, and utilizing artificial intelligence and virtual reality tools. Educational Outreach at Â鶹´«Ã½has also previously coordinated the EMERGE mentorship program to encourage high school girls to explore STEM professions.

The Â鶹´«Ã½K-12 STEM Education Initiative prepares students for success in STEM fields by fostering innovation and risk-taking in a supportive environment. As demand for STEM professionals grows, it is crucial to engage students early through hands-on learning, mentorship, and real-world applications.

This initiative includes STEM events, Robotics and Aerial Drone Events, and student-led outreach through the EMERGE Mentorship and Outreach program. By providing resources and a sense of belonging, it builds community connections and inspires future STEM leaders.
With a strong return on investment, the initiative cultivates a skilled workforce and ensures sustainability through community partnerships, scalable programs, and student-led initiatives that create lasting impact.

Educational Outreach at Â鶹´«Ã½served as a 2025 Event Partner for the . Teams of middle and high school students competed in four drone operation challenges, including piloting skills, autonomous flight skills, teamwork missions, and communications missions. The event was held March 8, 2025 at Rose-Hulman's Sports and Recreation Center. 

This competition was a qualification event for the May 17-18 2025 North Central Aerial Drone Competition Championship in Flint, Michigan.

Read more about the 2025 REC Foundation Aerial Drone Competition.