Press Releases
Senator Roberts Announces $240,000 for STARBASE in Salina and Kansas City
DoD Program Promotes Math and Science to Kansas Youth
Dec 12 2007
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) today announced $240,000 was awarded to Kansas STARBASE by the Department of Defense (DoD) to promote math and science skills to youth.
“The United States needs to produce four times as many scientists and engineers in order to meet future demand,” Senator Roberts said. “I have long said that math and science education for our children is vital to our future economic and national security and cutting edge scientific research. I am pleased DoD has awarded additional funding to Kansas STARBASE.”
The STARBASE program is operated by the Kansas National Guard. Trained and experienced instructors, along with military personnel, work with at-risk students at the 4th-6th grade level, helping them learn math, science and technology skills. Students are encouraged to explore and discover in an environment that builds individual strengths as well as cooperative group skills. STARBASE has academies in Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita and Salina. Particular emphasis is placed on the 5th grade and on classes that have students who are under-represented in math, science, engineering and technology, living in inner cities or rural locations, disabled, socio-economically disadvantaged and low in academic performance.
The national STARBASE program began in 1993, when Senator Roberts worked hard to ensure Kansas was one of six pilot sites. Since that time, he has continued to advocate for funding and expansion of the program. Today, Kansas STARBASE is the largest in the country. The program also operates summer sessions in Great Bend, Pittsburg, Liberal and Garden City in conjunction with Pittsburg State University and the Kansas Cosmosphere.
The most recent STARBASE funds were made available by 2008 Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations Act which Congress passed and was signed into law by the President in November. Senator Roberts personally wrote to Defense Secretary Robert Gates in September and November to request additional funds for Kansas STARBASE.
Senator Roberts, a long-time advocate of investment in science and technology research and education, established his blue-ribbon Advisory Committee on Science, Technology and the Future in 1996 to advise him on Kansas’ technology needs. Senator Roberts is a former Marine and former Member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.
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“The United States needs to produce four times as many scientists and engineers in order to meet future demand,” Senator Roberts said. “I have long said that math and science education for our children is vital to our future economic and national security and cutting edge scientific research. I am pleased DoD has awarded additional funding to Kansas STARBASE.”
The STARBASE program is operated by the Kansas National Guard. Trained and experienced instructors, along with military personnel, work with at-risk students at the 4th-6th grade level, helping them learn math, science and technology skills. Students are encouraged to explore and discover in an environment that builds individual strengths as well as cooperative group skills. STARBASE has academies in Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita and Salina. Particular emphasis is placed on the 5th grade and on classes that have students who are under-represented in math, science, engineering and technology, living in inner cities or rural locations, disabled, socio-economically disadvantaged and low in academic performance.
The national STARBASE program began in 1993, when Senator Roberts worked hard to ensure Kansas was one of six pilot sites. Since that time, he has continued to advocate for funding and expansion of the program. Today, Kansas STARBASE is the largest in the country. The program also operates summer sessions in Great Bend, Pittsburg, Liberal and Garden City in conjunction with Pittsburg State University and the Kansas Cosmosphere.
The most recent STARBASE funds were made available by 2008 Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations Act which Congress passed and was signed into law by the President in November. Senator Roberts personally wrote to Defense Secretary Robert Gates in September and November to request additional funds for Kansas STARBASE.
Senator Roberts, a long-time advocate of investment in science and technology research and education, established his blue-ribbon Advisory Committee on Science, Technology and the Future in 1996 to advise him on Kansas’ technology needs. Senator Roberts is a former Marine and former Member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.
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