This program offers tuition assistance and book reimbursement for college level students. Students are employed by the Navy, and work on the complex during the summer months, along with holiday breaks. A service obligation is required for this program. Contact the program office at (301) 757-4119 for more information or Click here for a pdf.

Explore the varied programs the education outreach office offers from tours to classroom presentations. Click here for a full listing of outreach events.

NAWCAD engineers and scientists work in a collaborative environment to develop unique aviation focused engineering design challenges for the STEM academies and other schools upon request. Educators can view the various design challenges in the documents section of the website.

This is a commercial off the shelf product co-produced by NASA and the Public Broadcasting System. The program includes a one-hour DVD shown by the teacher in 15-minute segments. At the conclusion of each segment, Patuxent River employees make classroom visits and conduct a hands-on science project that complements the video. Guidebooks with activities are provided, along with the necessary supplies for each activity. The Case of the Challenging Flight and the Case of the Electrical Mystery are two favorite programs. These programs are targeted in the fourth and fifth grades. Click here for a form to request a classroom visit.

The NAWCAD has a limited number of engineering technician positions open to students. All candidates must apply on-line through the NAVAIR jobs website, and note in their application their academic background, extracurricular activities including science fair and robotics, and demonstrated academic pathway toward a STEM career. Students must be at least 16 years old. During the school year, representatives from the education outreach office will visit area high schools to talk to students on the application process, and step them through the on-line application. Click here for more information.

Students can get a head start on their career with the Navy by applying for the Office of Naval Research Science and Engineering Apprentice Program (SEAP), which offers a limited number of summer positions at Patuxent River. The goals of SEAP are to encourage participating students to pursue science and engineering careers, to further their education via mentoring by laboratory personnel and their participation in research, and to make them aware of Department of Navy (DoN) research and technology efforts, which can lead to employment within the DoN. The annual application process, deadline and other details may be found at http://seap.asee.org. Call (301) 757-4123 for more information.

Learning is more fun and just makes more sense when a student can see and touch a real world example of a classroom lesson. The outreach program coordinators will customize tours for schools specifically focusing on their lesson plans. No matter what the topic, the office can generally provide a customized experience for students. Examples are launching a weather balloon to complement weather units to visiting the environmental center to learn about animal habitats and the base's environmental compliance programs. Lessons in chemistry could include a visit to the Becker Materials lab while physics students will enjoy a stop at the Cooling and Trapping lab or the catapult. Students have a wealth of tour possibilities for aerospace studies which would include visits to one or more of the test squadrons at Pax River. Educators must request a tour on the services application form found in the documents section of the website. All requests from schools must go through the education outreach office. Click here for a form to request a classroom visit.

A typical guest speaker engagement will be at least a one-hour classroom visit, which can include not only a PowerPoint presentation, but unclassified and cleared video, and a hands-on activity if possible. Topics may include physics, chemistry, human factors, mathematics or any other specialized area that the base supports. Working in a collaborative environment, the education outreach office facilitates meetings between educators and employees to develop appropriate briefing topics. Speakers are also needed for Career Days, and to give an existing presentation that focuses on careers in engineering. Employees interested in becoming a member of the speaker's program should contact the office to sign up. Educators can use the NAWCAD Services Request form to request a speaker. Click here for a form to request a speaker.

Students can get a head start on their education in STEM subjects by attending STARBASE-Atlantis, a program for fifth graders operated out of a classroom in building 588 (Supply Building). STARBASE-Atlantis supports children in St. Mary's and Calvert Counties. The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs oversees this program. Students come aboard the base one-day a week usually over a five week period and learn about aviation, the forces of flight, model rocketry, flight simulation, computer-aided design and more. A summer camp is also offered to area students. The public schools select the schools to attend STARBASE-Atlantis. Private schools with education partnership agreements in place with the base may be accepted to the program on a space available basis. For more information, call (301) 342-2789 or click here. Home schooled children are accepted on a space available basis.