Northrop Grumman partnership on STEM produces tangible results

Northrop Grumman’s partnership with the National Science Teachers Association resulted in the formation of the Northrop Grumman Foundation Teachers Academy—and has led to a first-place win in the “Corporate-Community or Nonprofit Partnership” category of PR Daily’s 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility Awards.

Many leaders in corporate social responsibility efforts have been recognized for work in advancing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education based on the significant gap between the projected need for professionals with these skills and the number of students currently studying these topics. 

The Northrop Grumman Foundation Teachers Academy—directed by the NSTA—has supported 50 teachers in the past and currently works with 26. These teachers get NSTA membership, access to web-based learning activities, support to attend NSTA’s conference, a five-day summer workshop at a Northrop Grumman facility, an 80-hour immersive externship at a local Northrop Grumman facility, professional learning to support their classroom work and more. 

Many Northrop Grumman employees serve as guides, hosts and support for teachers throughout the year and during “externship” weeks. The involvement of these employees is just one part of the program, which focuses on middle school teachers in U.S. and Australian schools in communities where Northrop Grumman operates. 

Evaluation of the program’s effectiveness is handled by an independent evaluator. The auditor found that the program has effectively increased teachers’ knowledge of how engineering and technology is applied in real-world situations; it has also increased their understanding of the skills and processes engineers and technologists apply in their work. 

The program has fostered understanding of effective pedagogical practices in science and engineering and had an impact on teacher practices in the classroom to foster STEM learning. 
Ultimately, students have been connected to STEM career awareness, the most significant result a STEM-focused program can hope for.

Congratulations to Stephanie Fitzsimmons, Wendy Binder and the employees at Northrop Grumman.