Educational Outreach office coordinates range of programming Published Aug. 29, 2014 By Amy Rollins Skywrighter staff WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Oh. -- Anyone reviewing the online "fact sheet" for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base's Educational Outreach Office is likely to be impressed. The fact sheet says EO's mission is to facilitate partnerships within the kindergartenthrough-12th-grade educational community to increase student awareness and excitement in all fields of math, science, aviation and aerospace in order to develop the nation's future scientific and technical workforce. Since EO's inception through a partnership between Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and the Air Force Research Laboratory more than 15 years ago: More than 394,000 local students have participated in base educational outreach programs, ranging from classroom visits and one-on-one job mentoring to tutoring young students on reading fundamentals; 92 Ohio school districts and more than 200 schools have been sent program information; More than $19.7 million in free educational programs has been provided; WPAFB volunteers donate 3,400-plus hours each month to support local educational programs. Educational outreach volunteer programs include serving as classroom speakers, tutoring, student employment opportunities and touring the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and lending students a computer-based digital storage oscilloscope system as well as the following. mentoring Job shadowing/ Every fall and spring, the Educational Outreach Office sponsors a Job Shadow Day for high school juniors and seniors that allow them to learn, first-hand, about some of the many exciting careers available at Wright-Patterson AFB. The deadline to volunteer for the Oct. 3 event is Aug. 29. In the spring, there were more than 50 career fields for the students to choose from; a record number of students, 163, and mentors, more than 75 of them, participated. More than 37 local high schools were on hand. Robotics -- FIRST LEGO League The Base Educational Outreach office is the lead organization for the annual state of Ohio FIRST LEGO League robotics competition. The FLL is a collaboration between the LEGO Co. and FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a nonprofit organization that is committed to creating robotic competition programs that excite and inspire children from kindergarten through high school to excel in math and science. FLL is a multidisciplinary program that combines engineering, computer programming, problem-solving, researching, presenting and teamwork. Teams of students work to build and program a robot to complete a number of tasks on a competition table. Base volunteers are needed to coach, mentor, judge and assist with the competition. The program has grown from 20 teams and 300-plus students, and mentors in 2001 to more than 425 teams and 6,000-plus students and mentors across Ohio in 2013-14. The impact to date is 50,000-plus students. Microscope Scanning Electron EDucatorS (SEMEDS) Volunteers from across the base participate in SEMEDS, which is sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. The directorate shares state-of-the art scientific equipment through two-hour after-school programs for high school and middle school students. Students learn of educational backgrounds of lab personnel as well as specific functions of different microscope technology. They also are treated to a composites tour of the facility during the visit. Science fairs Science fairs have an important role in encouraging young scientists. Many scientists, engineers and other professionals from Wright-Patterson AFB volunteer their time to judge projects at local science fairs. It's a good way to help groom the technical workforce needed for the future and to let students interact with professionals who actually work in the kind of careers they may be interested in. STARBASE STARBASE is a Department of Defense program designed to increase student interest and knowledge in math, science and technology, and provide positive role models. EO provides the STARBASE curriculum to at-risk 5th-grade students attending Dayton-area schools. Activities help students to develop positive self-esteem, provide goal setting/ achievement skills and tools to lead a drug free lifestyle. Hands-on approach and participatory learning experiences provided a strong motivation to learn. The impact to date is more than 18,000 students from eight area school districts. ( Wizards W.O.W!) of Wright Wright-Patt scientists and engineers, equipped with portable science kits they developed, bring science excitement to the classroom. Volunteers provide free, curriculum-based, hands-on science and math demonstrations. Subjects include electricity and magnetism; weather; lasers and optics; rocketry; scientific method; "math madness"; aeronautics; chemistry; "bubbleology" and more. The impact to date is more than 4,575 demonstrations to 126,000 students. For more information on EO programs and volunteer opportunities, go online to www.wpafb.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10710 or edoutreach.wpafb.af.mil or call 937-656-2273.