About Us
Our Motto - "Changing the Future Faces of STEM"
The NASA Student Engagement Program at College of the Canyons is a program that brings together eager students, dedicated faculty advisors, and the support of community mentors to enrich the out-of-classroom experience of its members. The program hosts workshops, team-building events, and tours of facilities like JPL, Tesla, and NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center!
The program and its members are committed to increasing diversity in STEM and to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all who are interested in participating in being part of this STEM community or to complete NASA missions!
Our Inclusive Team
The program is made up of a group of students that is diverse in almost every way imaginable! All students are welcomed and valued. It is an explicit goal of the program to increase the diversity in STEM fields. The program does this by extending relevant and worthwhile extracurricular opportunities to all, regardless of skill level or interest. One core tenet of the program is inclusivity, which is upheld at every level and in all activities.
Our NASA Missions
The year-round focus of the program is to facilitate the participation in annual NASA student spaceflight programs like NASA High Altitude Student Platform (HASP) and NASA RockSatX. These missions require College of the Canyons student-led teams to propose, design, fabricate, and test scientific payloads for launch from sites around the country. Members of the team travel to these sites to prepare these experiments to fly aboard NASA flight vehicles, reaching as far as outer space to collect valuable data.
These projects provide students with real space flight skills that result in access to internships and access to career paths that may otherwise be unrealized. Among dozens of university applicants, College of the Canyons has been a competitive participant year after year, and one of the few community colleges that does so!
Join Us
The program is always seeking students of all skill levels and interests to attend meetings and events, contribute to NASA missions, or just enjoy the community of passionate and valued individuals. Local high school students are encouraged to join too! No committment or membership is required. Contact the faculty advisor below to join our Canvas, or simply attend a weekly meeting!
Spring 2024 Meeting Location/Time:
Valencia Campus Aliso Lab 111, Sundays 12:30pm-2:30pm
Contact Us
Advisor: Teresa Ciardi
Email: teresa.ciardi@canyons.edu