AURORA | The Community College of Aurora has partnered with the University of Colorado Denver to expand access for underrepresented Colorado students to electrical engineering and technology careers.
“Together, we’re building pathways that equip students with high-demand skills while celebrating their unique backgrounds,” CCA President Mordecai Brownlee said in a statement.
This collaboration is part of a new initiative funded by a $1.2 million Minority University Research and Education Project grant awarded to CU Denver by NASA. This year, only six such grants were awarded nationwide, totaling more than $7 million, with CU Denver securing one of them.
The grant will fund a series of summer camps designed by CU Denver to spark an early interest in engineering among high school students. Students participating in the camps and other interested high schoolers will have the opportunity to enroll in engineering courses tailored to NASA missions, which can also count toward college credit.
CU Denver’s Jaedo Park, PhD professor of electrical engineering, and Kent Seidel, PhD associate professor of research and evaluation methods, will lead the project.
“It’s no secret that many underrepresented students often face systemic disadvantages like insufficient academic preparation, lack of role models and limited access to advanced STEM courses,” Park said. By using evidence-based strategies from experiential learning theory and active project-based learning, we aim to enhance STEM interest and skills among our students.
A central feature of the program is its focus on connecting students with engineering curricula tied to real-world space industry applications while also addressing barriers faced by underrepresented students.
“The program will use authentic engineering projects related to NASA missions to inspire, motivate and identify the next generation of engineers,” Park said.
Other key partners include Metropolitan State University of Denver, Aurora Public Schools and Westminster Public Schools. This consortium is dedicated to nurturing a more diverse pipeline of students into STEM fields, particularly engineering.
CCA, one of Colorado’s most diverse colleges, is federally designated as both a Hispanic and Minority Serving Institution, making it a fitting partner in this mission, school officials say. The college’s Center for Applied Science and Technology, set to open in fall 2025, will further support this mission, housing many of CCA’s STEM-focused programs.