Young learners with an interest in science, technology, engineering, art, and math can get hands-on experience at the Coastal Studies Institute at the East Carolina University Outer Banks Campus in Wanchese this summer.

Online registration opens March 2 for the camps that explore the Outer Banks. The fee is $425 a week for each camper.

Camps are 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and held every week from June 6 to Aug. 7. No camp is scheduled for the week of Fourth of July.

Themes for campers ages 10 to 13 include the following:

• “Coastal Kingdoms: Coastal Marine Biology + Ecology Camp” June 8-12 and June 15-19.
• “Shapes in Science: Art + Science Camp” June 22-26 and July 6-10.
• “Blue Horizons: Coastal Engineering Camp” July 13-17 and July 20-24.
• “Legends of the Atlantic: Maritime Archeology + Ocean Exploration Camp” July 27-31 and Aug. 3-7.

Organizers have planed a one-week camp for ages 13-17 themed “Coastal Explorers: Marine Science Technology & Remote Sensing Camp” for Aug. 10-14.

Contact Parker Murphy at 252-475-5452 for general camp questions. Contact ECU Continuing and Professional Education at 252-328-9198 about the registration process.

Led by East Carolina University, Coastal Studies Institute is a multi-institutional research and educational partnership of the UNC System, in partnership with North Carolina State University, UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Wilmington and Elizabeth City State University.

Sturgeon City Environmental Education Center in Jacksonville is inviting women of all ages for an evening of inspiration, connection and empowerment to help shape the future of science.

“She Innovates: A Women in STEM Event” will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Feb. 11 at Sturgeon City, 50 Court St. in downtown Jacksonville. Attendance is free.

Sturgeon City educators will lead hand-on activities focused on the work of women including Rachel Carson, Katherine Johnson, Rosalind Franklin and Dr. Mae Jemison.

Women professionals in various STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields will be there to share their career journeys and offer insights into their educational paths.

This will be an open-flow event where participants may arrive and depart at their convenience.

The national memorial on the Outer Banks that honors the accomplishments of Wilbur and Orville Wright is celebrating Dec. 17 the 122nd anniversary of the brothers’ first heavier-than-air, controlled, powered flight.

Starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, the National Park Service will be joined for the celebration by Dare County Schools, and the nonprofit organizations, the First Flight Society and Outer Banks Forever. The First Flight Society promotes awareness of the history and future of flight. Outer Banks Forever is the official nonprofit partner of the Wright Brothers site, as well as the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site.

Park entrance fees are waived for the day.

As part of this year’s program, the First Flight Society will induct at 9 a.m. William P. Lear (1902-1978) into its Paul E. Garber Shrine, a portrait gallery located inside the memorial’s visitor center that honors those who have achieved significant firsts in aviation. Lear was an American inventor and businessman, best known for founding Lear Jet Industries. His portrait will be installed inside the gallery at 11 a.m.

The First Flight Society established the shrine in 1966 and named it after the curator and historian at the Smithsonian Institution who played a key role in the 1946 National Air Museum.

An introduction Wright Flight Academy is at 9:10 a.m. The two-year program began in 2023 as part of Dare County School’s Aviation Program, which offers juniors and seniors an opportunity to learn about aviation, science, and engineering while building a workable airplane on the memorial’s grounds.

At 10 a.m. as part of the celebration, students plan to unveil their completed airplane built during the academy. The build is the second airplane ever constructed on the historic site, “following in the footsteps of the Wright brothers’ and carrying their legacy into a modern classroom,” organizers said.

“The project underscores how Career and Technical Education, strengthened by community partnerships, can inspire the next generation of aviators and engineers. In a true full-circle moment, students are carrying forward the same spirit of innovation that launched the world’s first flight on the very ground where aviation history began,” organizers continued.

Throughout the day there will be demonstrations with the replica 1903 Wright Flyer, and the Wright Brothers Monument will be open for visitors to view the lower atrium, weather dependent. Ranger-led educational programs outside of the visitor center are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

The First Flight Society‘s annual luncheon that commemorates the flight anniversary will be from 12:30 to 3 p.m. that afternoon at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head. The organization invited to speak from the Lear world, Bill Lear’s daughter, Shanda Lear-Baylor, and Jeff Coggins, chief pilot and assistant director of operations for the Phoenix Air Group. Lunch will be served and there will be a silent auction. Tickets are $60 each before Dec. 10 or $75 after, and available on the website.

College-bound young women in North Carolina have an opportunity to explore over the summer careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics within the state government.

Ninth through 12th grade girls can apply using the online form now through Feb. 24 to participate in the four-week Lady Cardinal Mentorship Program that was established in 2019 by the North Carolina Department of Administration’s Council for Women and Youth Involvement.

Women comprised 35% of the science, technology, engineering and mathematic workforce in 2023 and continued to earn less than their male counterparts, according to the U.S. National Science Foundation.

“The statistics are disheartening and, if left unchanged, the gender wage gap will not begin to close until year 2060 based on data collected from the Status of Women in North Carolina Employment and Earnings Report,” NCDOA Secretary Gabriel J. Esparza said in a release. “The Lady Cardinal Mentorship Program seeks to improve the outlook for North Carolina women, allowing local students to actually see what they can be in state government STEM careers.”

Candidate interviews will take place in March and selected applicants will be notified of placement in April. The paid mentorship program will run weekdays July 7 through Aug. 1. Students are expected to work 40 hours a week and will earn a $1,700 stipend at the end of the program.

Participating state agencies include the departments of Administration, Commerce, Environmental Quality, Health and Human Services, Information Technology, Natural and Cultural Resources, Public Safety, Revenue and Transportation, as well as the Governor’s Office, the Office of State Budget Management and the Office of State Human Resources.

Eight distinguished North Carolinians have been chosen to receive the state’s highest civilian honor, the North Carolina Award, two of which have strong ties to the coast.

The North Carolina General Assembly established the award in 1961 to recognize significant contributions to the state and nation in the fields of fine arts, literature, public service and science. The awards have been presented annually since 1964.

For their contributions to science are environmental attorney, photographer and advocate Tom Earnhardt and astronaut Christina Koch, who grew up in Onslow County.

“Over the past six decades, the North Carolina Award has been given to many remarkable North Carolinians,” said Reid Wilson, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. “This year’s awardees join an illustrious list of people who have benefitted North Carolina through their impressive accomplishments in public service, literature, science, and the arts. This year’s event will benefit our neighbors in Western North Carolina who were harmed by the devastating storm.”

Gov. Roy Cooper is to present the awards at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, in the Raleigh Marriott City Center. All proceeds from ticket sales for the awards ceremony will go to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund for Hurricane Helene recovery. Event tickets are by invitation only.

The information below from North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has been edited.

Science: Tom Earnhardt

Earnhardt’s career includes time as an assistant attorney general at the N.C. Department of Justice, assistant secretary of the N.C. Department of Administration, and as a professor at North Carolina Central University School of Law.

In 1971, Earnhardt was one of the first attorneys hired at the N.C. Department of Justice in the “new arena” of environmental law. While working with the late Jim Holshouser, who served as governor from 1973 to 1977, he played a key role in helping to preserve critical natural areas, including the New River in northwestern North Carolina and the southernmost Outer Banks, today’s Cape Lookout National Seashore.

He is a board member of the North Carolina Coastal Federation, which publishes Coastal Review and Earnhardt has also served on the boards of numerous natural resource organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and the North Carolina Botanical Garden.

He is the writer, host and coproducer of the long-running PBS series “Exploring North Carolina,” which highlights the importance of our natural heritage in the life of every North Carolinian.

Science: Christina Koch

Christina Koch, who grew up in Jacksonville, was selected to be a NASA astronaut in 2013. She set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with 328 days in space, participated in the first all-female spacewalk, and was a flight engineer on the International Space Station for Expeditions 59 through 61.

Koch is a graduate of the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics and North Carolina State University. Before becoming an astronaut, she worked at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland as an electrical engineer, contributing to instruments for various NASA space science missions.

Throughout her career, Koch has engaged in educational outreach, technical instruction, and volunteer tutoring, demonstrating her dedication to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers. As part of the Artemis II mission scheduled for 2025, Koch will become the first woman to participate in a lunar mission.

Fine Arts: The Avett Brothers

Brothers Scott and Seth Avett and their longtime friend Bob Crawford lead the folk rock band The Avett Brothers. From Concord, their partnership began when the two brothers merged Seth Avett’s high school band, Margo, and Scott Avett’s college band, Nemo, and released three albums as Nemo. After the group disbanded, Scott and Seth continued to write acoustic music together.

In 2001 stand-up bassist Bob Crawford joined the Avetts, and the band released its first full-length album, “Country Was” in 2002. The band has been nominated for three Grammy awards and been nominated for and won several awards from the Americana Music Association, including Duo/Group of the Year and New/Emerging Artist of the Year awards in 2007.

Literature: Frank A. Bruni Jr.

Bruni has been a prominent journalist for more than three decades, principally at The New York Times, where his various roles have included op-ed columnist, White House correspondent, Rome bureau chief and chief restaurant critic.

He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead Scholar and wrote for the student paper, the Daily Tar Heel.

As the Times’s first openly gay op-ed columnist, in 2016 Bruni was honored by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association with the Randy Shilts Award for his lifetime contribution to LGBTQ equality. Bruni is the author of five bestselling books including the most recent, “The Age of Grievance,” an examination of America’s political dysfunction and culture wars.

He became a full professor at Duke University in 2021, teaching media-oriented classes in the Sanford School of Public Policy. Now living in North Carolina, he continues to write his popular weekly newsletter for the New York Times and to produce occasional essays as a contributing opinion writer for the newspaper.

Fine Arts: William Henry Curry

Curry has had a “trailblazing role” as an African American in classical music, and is currently the music director and conductor of the Durham Symphony Orchestra.

From 1998 to 2016, he was the resident conductor and Summerfest artistic director of the North Carolina Symphony. During his career, he has conducted some of the world’s greatest orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the major opera companies of New York, Chicago and Houston.

Curry is also a composer, and his works have been played by many of America’s finest orchestras. He has been a mentor for young musicians at the Peabody Conservatory, the Baltimore School of Arts, and many music schools in North Carolina.

Public Service: Dr. Harold L. Martin

Martin served as the 12th chancellor of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University from 2009-2024. He is the first alumnus to lead the institution.

His more than 40 years experience in education made him a key figure in N.C. A&T’s growth to become the largest of the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities, and one of the country’s top public research institutions.

His prior roles include senior vice president for Academic Affairs for the University of North Carolina System, and held leadership roles at Winston-Salem State University, where he served as the 11th chief administrator and seventh chancellor.

Since the award’s inception, more than 300 notable men and women have been honored by the state of North Carolina. Past recipients include William Friday, James Taylor, Etta Baker, Charles Kuralt, Maya Angelou, Lee Smith, Eric Church, Selma Burke, and Branford Marsalis.

Several science centers on the coast are among 53 statewide to be awarded $2.4 million through the North Carolina Science Museums grant program.

In its sixth year, the grant program awards funds based on criteria that advance the goal of enhancing science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, education opportunities for the public, particularly in low-resource communities, officials said.

“Science museums and educational centers spark curiosity and foster a love for scientific inquiry, helping to cultivate the next generation of innovators and problem solvers,” state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary D. Reid Wilson said in a statement. “Reliance on high quality science is essential to our ability to meet our state’s big challenges in the future.”

The awards, ranging from $14,804 to $75,000, will be applied to the 2023–2024 fiscal year budgets of these science centers.

“We have more science museums in North Carolina than any other state and this funding supports them as they advance science education,” said Darrell Stover, head of the North Carolina Science Museums Grant Program at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

In Beaufort County, the Aurora Fossil Museum Foundation and North Carolina Estuarium in Washington were awarded $60,000 each.

Bertie County’s Roanoke/Cashie River Center in Windsor was awarded $75,000.

The Bald Head Island Conservancy in Brunswick County was awarded $27,307 and the
Ocean Isle Museum Foundation, which oversees the Museum of Coastal Carolina and Ingram Planetarium, received $39,572.

The Carteret County-based Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center on Harkers Island was awarded $51,687.

Three New Hanover County locations received awards. Airlie Gardens was awarded $26,996, Cape Fear Museum of History and Science was awarded $20,705 and The Children’s Museum of Wilmington received $21,528.

Sturgeon City Environmental Education Center in Jacksonville was awarded $36,804.

Port Discover hands-on STEM center in Elizabeth City was awarded $60,000.

Another round of grant awards is scheduled for the next fiscal year. To apply for the next grant cycle, visit ncmuseumgrant.naturalsciences.org.

The North Carolina Department of Administration is accepting applications until Feb. 26 for a four-week, paid mentorship with state government leaders for North Carolina high school girls.

The NCDOA’s Council for Women and Youth Involvement established the summer Lady Cardinal Mentorship Program in 2019 to improve gender inequity by providing college bound girls an opportunity to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, within North Carolina state government.

“Since its inception the program has mentored nearly 40 high school girls across the state,” NCDOA Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell said. “Preparing North Carolina’s best and brightest in high-growth and high-earning fields such as STEM careers will help more women and families achieve economic security, reduce poverty and grow the state’s economy.”

Program and application information can be found on the NCDOA website. Candidate interviews will take place in mid-March and selected applicants will be notified of placement in April. The mentorship program will run weekdays July 8 through Aug. 2.

This year’s participating state agencies include the departments of Administration, Commerce, Environmental Quality, Health and Human Services, Information Technology, Natural and Cultural Resources, Public Safety, Revenue, and Transportation, the Governor’s Office, and the Offices of State Human Resources and State Budget and Management.

All mentees are expected to work 40 hours a week, with time divided between working side-by-side with women leaders and working on a group project. The summer enrichment opportunity also includes lunch and learn sessions and field trips to various state government agencies. Students will earn a $1,700 stipend at the end of the program. 

Femme in STEM organizers are calling for women scientists to participate in this year’s event in September.

Scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, the event is to celebrate women in science, and inspire the next generation.

Women in all science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM, fields are encouraged to be an exhibitor, and engage with aquarium visitors through interactive exhibits. Submit an application by Friday, Sept. 8. Applications are on the aquarium website.

“It is important for young girls to see someone like themselves in STEM fields. Research shows that starting around middle school, girls start losing interest in science and other STEM subjects. Our visitors interact with women working in the variety of STEM fields that are open for career paths,” Gail Lemiec, unique experiences coordinator at the aquarium, said in a statement.

Femme in STEM, previously called Women in Science, was first held in 2019 and went virtual in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, 16 organizations participated and 70 individual exhibitors engaged with 2,100 visitors at the aquarium.

Femme in STEM is included with an aquarium visit. Advanced tickets are required to visit the aquarium and special days often sell out. Plan ahead and reserve your tickets in advance at aquarium admission.

Dr. Carresse Gerald knew before she was in kindergarten that she wanted to be a veterinarian. 

“I love animals and loved to learn about them. I watched National Geographic and Animal Planet often,” the Winston-Salem native told Coastal Review. “I especially enjoyed learning about exotic animals like Komodo dragons. So, it made sense for me to want to become a vet. My grandfather also had horses and I figured I could come home and take care of them.”

Her love of animals led her to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, and she is now an assistant professor in North Carolina Central University’s Department of Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences.

Her love of STEM also led her to connect with an educator at North Carolina Coastal Federation to help her students learn more about their coastal environment. The Coastal Federation publishes Coastal Review.

Gerald is one of the growing number of females in STEM careers. 

Though women make up nearly half of U.S. workers, they are still “vastly underrepresented” in the STEM workforce, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 

In 1970, 38% of U.S. workers were women, of those 8% were in STEM. By 2019, women made up 48% of all workers, of those, 27% were in STEM, “but men still dominated the field. Men made up 52% of all U.S. workers but 73% of all STEM workers,” the Census notes. 

In 2019, there were nearly 10.8 million workers in STEM occupations, which account for nearly 7% of all U.S. occupations, according to Census Bureau estimates.

Gerald earned her bachelor’s in animal science, when she studied large animals such as livestock and poultry, followed by her master’s, which built upon her undergraduate work focused on animal health, both at N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University.

“The research I conducted was to analyze hog barn dust effects on Porcine epithelium,” she said, or pig tissue. “My Ph.D. is in Energy and Environmental Systems and my dissertation included research characterizing hog barn dust and the effects of the dust human airway cells.” She earned her doctorate from N.C. A&T, as well. 

After a few years as a postdoctoral research associate at University of Nebraska Medical Center, in 2016 she joined N.C. Central. She and her husband reside in Graham with their four kids aged 16, 10, 2 and 9 months. 

As a female in STEM, Gerald said it can be challenging to balance work, personal and family responsibilities.

“I also try to make it a point to advocate for myself as much as possible,” she said. “One positive about being a female in STEM is encouraging other young females in STEM. I love working with students and increasing motivation of young students to pursue graduate degrees, internships and community service in STEM.”

Gerald said that she is using her role in front of the classroom to encourage other women to become leaders in STEM. 

“It is easy to reach the students in my classroom. I even have had students ask if their friends could attend field trips or listen to a lecture,” Gerald explained. “I also work with student organizations, and it helps me to motivate females to engage in STEM. Our student organizations are open to non-STEM majors, so it is always awesome to see history and criminal justice majors engaging in STEM activities.”

She said her research team is currently analyzing fecal coliform, bacteria that originates in the intestines of warm-blooded animals, and pharmaceutical compounds in surface water from an urban watershed, Third Fork Creek. She uses a nematode worm model, Caenorhabditis elegans, to determine if the collected water affects their growth and chemotaxis, or ability to find a food source. This type of worm is often used in research to study human diseases. 

One of her graduate students is analyzing air quality for volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and particulate matter, PM, inside a nail salon and “we are collecting nail salon dust to expose to airway cells to see if the dusts will induce inflammation.”

She connected with the Coastal Federation a few summers ago through another nonprofit organization for which she volunteers.

“I am a board member for the nonprofit, The Institute of Landscape, Art and Sustainable Spaces,” she said. Each summer, the organization sponsors a free summer program called EnviroKIDs, and one of the stops happens to be sponsored by the Coastal Federation at Hammocks Beach State Park.

“The first time I went, I brought my two oldest kids and we had so much fun,” Gerald explained. “I also met the sweetest, extremely knowledgeable environmental educator, Rachel Bisesi. From then on, Rachel has been integral in making sure we increase students in STEM from speaking to my classes and planning trips, she is gem.”

Bisesi explained to Coastal Review that she was leading a teacher workshop session with another group the day she met Gerald.

She was explaining to the teachers that most of the state’s big universities have marine labs on the coast but after noticing one of the teacher’s bags had an N.C. Central logo on it, Bisesi said she realized that really wasn’t true, as not many of the historically Black colleges and universities have marine labs, although Elizabeth City State is on the coast. 

“Then I finally connected that Dr. Gerald teaches at Central, and reached out to see if she’d be interested in a partnership. It grew from there, and I’m so glad because she is such a joy to work with, and is doing really great work,” Bisesi said.

Gerald said that she brought her first group of N.C. Central students to Hammocks Beach State Park in April 2022. 

“It was a great time and the students enjoyed collecting organisms along the estuary.  We identified a few crabs, fish, snail and oyster species,” she said. “When I took the second group in fall 2022, I had several students tag along again because they enjoyed the first time so much! In the fall, we had a chance to see dolphins and jellyfish! I still have students talking about the previous trips and ready for another one.” 

When Gerald isn’t in the classroom, she said she enjoys working with her church congregation, Piedmont Church of Christ, spending time with her kids and exercising.  

“I also love reading books and listening to audiobooks. I am also a huge ‘Star Wars’ and Marvel fan and love watching the movies and the various series,” she added.

Area middle school students are invited to Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort April 1 to learn more about science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, activities, resources and role models.

Held annually, Growing Equity in Science & Technology, or GEST, is a collaborative, graduate student-led event that brings together scientists from different Eastern North Carolina institutions, showcasing the diversity of fields, practitioners and careers that are possible in STEM.

Registration opens at noon Monday, March 13.

Throughout the day, students will rotate through interactive activities led by local scientists, with each activity representing a different STEM field. The day concludes with a panel discussion with scientists from different backgrounds and career paths answering students’ questions about their personal journeys and careers in STEM.

GEST was created to offer a space for students from diverse backgrounds, including those from under-represented groups, to engage in hands-on activities in an inclusive environment to inspire the next generation of STEM practitioners.

A tentative schedule is available on the website.

North Carolina Sea Grant will take applications until 5 p.m. March 27 for its 2023-24 NC STEM Policy Post-Graduate Fellowship program.

Through the fellowship, recently graduated master’s and doctoral students from North Carolina colleges and universities will be able to serve full-time for a year in high-level state government offices, focusing on topics related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM.

“These fellows gain valuable real-world experience and professional development opportunities while working in host offices engaged in STEM policymaking,” Susan White, North Carolina Sea Grant’s executive director, said in a statement. “The host offices also benefit by gaining access to the best science and policy graduate students available to help make mission critical decisions.”

The state host offices for 2023-24 may include the following:

• Department of Environmental Quality, State Energy Office.
• Biotechnology Center.
• Department of Commerce, Office of Science, Technology, and Innovation.
• Department of Commerce, Clean Energy Economic Development.
• Department of Public Safety, Office of Recovery and Resiliency.
• Department of Transportation, Chief Operating Office.

Each fellowship includes a competitive stipend, associated travel, and training opportunities. Professional development and networking opportunities for fellows are available through a partnership with Sigma Xi, the international honor society of science and engineering, starting with a policy “bootcamp” in summer 2023.

The fellowship program strongly encourages proposals from graduate students at historically Black colleges and universities, minority-serving institutions, and traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities, as well as from graduate students who can demonstrate how their interests can benefit underserved and underrepresented communities.

“With these fellowships, North Carolina benefits by retaining the great talent that our state’s universities produce,” John Fear, Sea Grant’s deputy director, said in a statement.

Details about the positions and applicants’ graduate degree requirements are available at go.ncsu.edu/stem-fellows.

Apply through the eSeaGrant portal, go.ncsu.edu/ncesg. Requirements include a resume, career goal statement, letters of recommendation, and transcripts.

Sea Grant is partnering with the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and host offices to provide funding for the program’s fourth year.

Girls in grades nine through 12 with an interest in public service and a future career in science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics, or STEM, have until Feb. 24 to apply for a mentorship program through the state Department of Administration.

The summer Lady Cardinal Mentorship Program is a four-week, paid annual mentorship program with state government leaders open to North Carolina high school girls.

Established in 2019 by Department of Administration’s Council for Women and Youth Involvement, the Lady Cardinal Mentorship Program seeks to improve gender inequity by providing college bound girls an opportunity to explore STEM-based careers within North Carolina state government.

“This program is designed to nurture the interest of our young women in public service while preparing them for careers that are often male dominated,” said DOA Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell in a statement. “We aim to change the current trajectory of STEM careers, building a better future for women, families and for the state of North Carolina.”

Program and application information can be found on the DOA website. Candidate interviews will occur in mid-March and selected applicants will be notified of placement in April. The mentorship program will be weekdays July 10 through Aug. 4.

All mentees are expected to work 40 hours a week, with time divided between working side-by-side with women leaders 24 hours per week and working on a group project 16 hours each week. The summer enrichment opportunity also includes lunch and learn sessions and field trips to various state government agencies. Students will earn a $1,700 stipend at the end of the program.

This year’s participating state agencies include the departments of Administration, Commerce, Environmental Quality, Health and Human Services, Information Technology, Natural and Cultural Resources, Public Safety, Revenue, Transportation, Governor’s Office, and the Office of State Human Resources.

In addition to working on a sustainability project, last year the Lady Cardinal mentees participated in a geology tour with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, explored the Museum of Natural Sciences’ Nature Exploration Center, and engaged in lunch and learn sessions with state government leaders among many other educational activities.

The Lady Cardinal Mentorship Program purpose and goals are based on recommendations from the 2018 Status of Women in NC Employment and Earnings Report released by the Council for Women and Youth Involvement in collaboration with the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

Visit the DOA website to learn more about and apply for the Lady Cardinal Mentorship Program for summer 2023.

The North Carolina Science Museums Grant Program has awarded 55 science centers, including nearly a dozen on the coast, a total of $6.3 million in special grants to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, education.

“The North Carolina Science Museums Grant Program helps fund crucial science education across our state,” said D. Reid Wilson, secretary of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, in a statement. “This investment of federal funds by the legislature and the Governor will increase access to STEM experiences no matter where you live in North Carolina.”

Grants were awarded based on state-legislated criteria that promote the priorities of state government, with a primary goal of enhancing STEM education opportunities for the public, particularly in low-resource communities, officials said Wednesday.

Funding for these special grants is made possible by the federal American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, as directed by the 2021 state budget.

“The great work of these museums continues to place our state at the forefront of informal science education nationally and these grants support that endeavor,” said Darrell Stover, Head of the North Carolina Science Museums Grant Program at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

The awards ranged from $70,000 to $185,000 and will be applied to spending in a federal timeline for ARPA funding that covers expenditures from 2022 through 2025.

In Beaufort County, the Aurora Fossil Museum Foundation, Inc. received $173,163 and North Carolina Estuarium was awarded $129,396.

Bertie County’s Roanoke/Cashie River Center was awarded $150,637.

Ocean Isle Museum Foundation Inc. received $144,460, and Bald Head Island Conservancy $123,008, both in Brunswick County.

Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center in Carteret County was awarded $133,851.

In New Hanover County, Cape Fear Museum of History and Science received $111,691.76, Airlie Garden received $108,078 and Wilmington Children’s Museum, Inc. was awarded $89,760.

Sturgeon City of Jacksonville in Onslow County was awarded $109,192.

Pasquotank County’s Port Discover: Northeastern North Carolina’s Center for Hands-on Science $148,033.

For more information about the program and a full list of recipients, visit ncmuseumgrant.naturalsciences.org.

Undergraduate students enrolled in eligible universities and colleges may apply for scholarships through North Carolina Space Grant to help launch their career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM.  

There are two funding opportunities through Space Grant’s MSI STEM scholarship program for for students from underrepresented and underserved populations with an interest in STEM. MSI stands for minority-serving institutions.

“We are elated to support another talented group of students through our MSI opportunities,” Sandy Canfield, assistant director of North Carolina Space Grant, said in a statement. “These awards will help them to expand their visions as they begin their STEM career journeys.”

The MSI STEM Bridge Scholarship Program is for students from underrepresented and underserved populations pursuing STEM-related careers. Selected students will be awarded $5,000 to support a STEM-related research project based on NASA Mission Directorates. Bridge Scholars are strongly encouraged to apply for the North Carolina Space Grant Undergraduate Research Scholarship or the Graduate Research Fellowship following completion of the program.

Applicants must be enrolled as full-time sophomore, junior or senior students at the following NASA-designated colleges and universities:

• Bennett College.
• Chowan University.
• Elizabeth City State University.
• Fayetteville State University.
• Johnson C. Smith University.
• Livingstone College.
• North Carolina A&T University.
• North Carolina Central University.
• North Carolina Wesleyan College.
• Saint Augustine’s College.
• Shaw University.
• University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
• Winston-Salem State University.

The MSI Pathways Scholarship Program is for students starting their academic careers in STEM and NASA-related fields. Full-time community college and undergraduate students who are not seniors can apply for the $3,000 award.

In addition to the aforementioned institutions, students at Bladen Community College, Edgecombe Community College, Halifax Community College, Robeson Community College and Sampson Community College can apply for the Pathways Scholarship Program.

Applications are due 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17. A letter of recommendation from a faculty member or academic adviser must be received by 6 p.m. Oct. 19.

Space Grant representatives have scheduled three online sessions to offer students with advice and guidance. Registration is required. Once registered, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The sessions are scheduled for:

• Noon Friday, Sept. 23. Register in advance.
• 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30. Register in advance.
• Noon Monday, Oct. 3. Register in advance.

Interested graduate students from North Carolina colleges and universities have until until March 28 to apply for the 2022 NC Science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, Policy Fellowship.

The fellowships provide graduate students the opportunity to serve full-time for a year in high‐level state government offices, focusing on policy topics related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. North Carolina Sea Grant, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and host offices have partnered to fund the program in its third year.

“These fellows gain valuable real‐world experience and professional development opportunities while working in host offices engaged in STEM policymaking,” Susan White, North Carolina Sea Grant’s executive director, said in a statement. “Five host offices also benefit by gaining access to the best science and policy graduate students available to help make mission critical decisions.”

Host offices will be the state’s Department of Environmental Quality’s State Energy Office; N.C. Biotechnology Center; N.C. Department of Commerce’s Office of Science, Technology, and Innovation; N.C. Department of Public Safety’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency; and N.C. Department of Transportation’s Office of the Deputy Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs.

Each fellowship includes a competitive stipend, as well as reimbursement for health insurance, associated travel, and training opportunities, totaling $54,500 for the year.

Professional development and networking opportunities for fellows are available through a partnership with Sigma Xi, the international honor society of science and engineering, starting with a policy “bootcamp” in summer 2022.

The fellowship program strongly encourages proposals from graduate students at historically Black colleges and universities, minority-serving institutions and from traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities, as well as from graduate students who can demonstrate how their interests can benefit underserved and underrepresented communities.

“With these fellowships, North Carolina benefits by retaining the great talent that our state’s universities produce,” said John Fear, North Carolina Sea Grant’s deputy director.

Each applicant must receive a master’s or doctoral degree no later than Dec. 31, 2022, and no earlier than July  31, 2021. The degrees should be in STEM or a STEM-related discipline through a North Carolina university. Students are eligible regardless of nationality.

Completed applications are due by 5 p.m. on Monday March 28. Apply through the eSeaGrant portal, go.ncsu.edu/ncesg. Requirements include a resume, career goal statement, letters of recommendation and transcripts.

Cape Fear Museum of History and Science has launched an outreach program to inspire young women and gender minorities to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM.

The Association of Science and Technology Centers, or ASTC, selected the museum for the IF/THEN Gender Equity Grant in the amount of $8,600, part of broader efforts to advance diversity, accessibility, inclusion and equity.

IF/THEN aims to further advance women in STEM by empowering current innovators and inspiring the next generation of pioneers

The museum chose six local women and six women from the IF/THEN Collection, a digital asset library of women STEM innovators for educational and other noncommercial use, to represent a diverse group of role models in STEM fields to inspire the next generation of young female scientists.

“We are excited to partner with ASTC and the IF/THEN Initiative on this important project to create a culture shift in STEM and increase female representation,” said Sheryl Mays, museum director. “We know that ‘IF she can see it, THEN she can be it’ and this outreach project features images of diverse women in STEM careers to educate and inspire the next generation.”

The outreach banner project features life-size photos and stories from each of the selected women and will travel to a range of partner sites serving girls and young women in grades K-12.

Local ambassadors included in the project are the following:

• Darcie Roten, science content developer at Cape Fear Museum
• Erika Edwards and Kristi Ray, cinematographers, editors, producers and directors at Honey Head Films
• Sara Izad, software architect at nCino
• Bethany Hart, flight paramedic at New Hanover Regional Medical Center
• Kristian Davis, veterinarian Assistant at Forest Hills Veterinary Hospital
• Ashley Lomboy, global information security manager at Corning Inc.

The outreach banner project will debut at Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington, or GLOW, in early May and students will have the opportunity to provide feedback and share thoughts on STEM careers. The project will then move to Cape Fear Museum and be on display during the month of June.

The museum is looking for more community partners to display the banner project and can contact Barbi Baker at 910-798-4367 or bbaker@nhcgov.com for more information.

Launched by Lyda Hill Philanthropies, the IF/THEN Initiative is built on the mantra that, “If we support a woman in STEM, Then she can change the world.” The initiative includes a large coalition of organizations that span science, media, fashion, education, philanthropy, entertainment, sports and beyond.