The camp originated from Bennet’s 2013 aerospace bus tour
Space and technology camp concludes two-week statewide innovation tour
Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and United Launch Alliance teamed up to host an interactive space and technology camp today for nearly 150 students and parents at ULA’s headquarters in Centennial. The camp was designed to give the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders a taste of the career opportunities that exist in the math and science fields.
The idea for today’s space and technology camp was conceived during an aerospace bus tour Bennet hosted last year. More than 40 leaders in aerospace, education, and government piled in a bus with Bennet last May and toured three of Colorado’s leading aerospace companies along the Front Range. During that tour, aerospace leaders talked to Bennet and school officials about the challenges they faced finding the high-skilled talent they needed to fill technical positions at their firms.
“As we travel around the state, we consistently hear from business leaders at top aerospace and tech companies like ULA that it is often challenging to find the highly-skilled workers they need,” Bennet said. “Our goal today is to show kids who are interested in math and science the amazing careers they can have when they grow up, if they continue to work hard and follow their dreams.”
“Growing a workforce that can meet the challenges of the STEM industries of tomorrow is a concern for all of us and events, such as this one, are wonderful opportunities to share the excitement of pursuing science and math education,” said Michael Gass, ULA’s president and CEO. “With the help of leaders like Senator Bennet, ULA takes an active role in inspiring the next generation and focuses a large portion of our community funding on STEM education.”
Participants at today’s interactive space and technology camp came from the following schools: Casey Middle School, Castle Rock Middle School, Century Middle School, The Colorado Springs School, Denver School of Science & Technology College View, Discovery Canyon, GALS School, Horizon Middle School, Hulstrom K-8/Gifted & Talented, McAuliffe Middle School, St. Anne’s Episcopal School, Sierra Middle School, STEM Launch Middle School, STEM Magnet Lab, and Vista Peak Exploratory.
The camp concludes Bennet’s two-week Colorado Innovation tour. Bennet visited innovative companies throughout the state that are developing new ideas, creating jobs, and building the economy.