During the past twenty years, The Rocky Mountain Section of the American Astronautical Society (AAS) has conducted an aggressive outreach program to promote the advancement of aerospace education in the public and private sector. The program focus is on initiating or enhancing aerospace education programs in school systems throughout the Rocky Mountain Section (a nine-state area). To date over $80,000 has been given to various programs that are outlined below.
Aerospace Education Grants to Public Schools ($24,000)
At the beginning of the school year, a mini Request for Proposal (RFP) is sent to interested schools throughout the Rocky Mountain Section. The solicitation is for the school administrators to respond with a plan for how they would spend a $1000 grant associated with an aerospace program in their schools. Grants are awarded based upon mathematical, engineering and aerospace merit of the project or program proposed, the total number of students involved, and to some extent, the location of the school. Preference is sometimes given to the poorer rural area schools.