August 17, 2021 – Santa Fe College’s Guitars, Rocketry, Robotics Advanced Technological Education (GRRATE) received the 2021 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education. The Inspiring Programs in STEM Award honors colleges and universities that encourage and assist students from underrepresented groups to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Santa Fe College will be featured, along with 78 other recipients, in the September 2021 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. SF’s GRRATE project is funded by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education grant award #1800955.
Inspiring Programs in STEM Award winners were selected by INSIGHT Into Diversity based on efforts to inspire and encourage a new generation of young people to consider careers in STEM through mentoring, teaching, research, and successful programs and initiatives.
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected Santa Fe College’s GRRATE because of its work introducing students who are often underrepresented in STEM to the possibility of high-paying, rewarding careers in STEM. GRRATE is offered at SF’s Andrews Center in Starke, the Blount Center in Gainesville, the Davis Center in Archer and the Watson Center in Keystone Heights. Students gain knowledge in the areas of Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics while building a guitar, robot or rocket. The semester ends with a field trip to the Kennedy Space Center.
“We know that many STEM programs are not always recognized for their success, dedication, and mentorship for underrepresented students,” says Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We want to honor the schools and organizations that have created programs that inspire and encourage young people who may currently be in or are interested in a future career in STEM. We are proud to honor these programs as role models to other institutions of higher education and beyond.”
A call for nominations for this award was announced in April 2021.
For more information about the 2021 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award and INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, visit insightintodiversity.com.