The WEX Foundation, located in San Antonio, was established\nto advance middle and high school education in Science, Technology, Engineering,\nand Mathematics (STEM) subjects by integrating space exploration technology\nwith project-based learning, with the ultimate goal of creating a robust space\ntechnology workforce that will enable people to live on other planets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have a pretty exciting line up for this year\u2019s annual\nstudent showcase,\u201d said Samuel W. Ximenes, Founder and Board Chair. \u201cIn June we\nwill launch a high altitude balloon with a payload of student designed and\nbuilt science measurement instruments.\u201d Ximenes said a rocket launch to 1 mile\naltitude with another payload compliment of student designed science\ninstruments is also planned. A robotics demonstration of vehicles designed and\nconstructed to simulate how they would work on the lunar surface and acquire\nenvironmental data on the surface and in lunar caves, is also in the works. \u201cIt\nwill be a festive day with the public invited,\u201d said Ximenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Foundation\u2019s focus is to promote science, technology,\nengineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for K-12 curriculum development;\nimproving STEM teaching and student comprehension in school districts and areas\nwhere students have been traditionally under-served and under-represented in\ninstitutions of higher education; to prepare and encourage low-income,\nfirst-generation college-bound students and students with disabilities to\npursue higher education and careers in human space exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the goals for the Foundation this year is to get one\nof their student science instruments on one of the commercial lunar landers\nNASA has recently contracted with to provide delivery services to the moon\nthrough their CLPS program. \u201cHaving our proposal selected as one of the science\ninstrument payloads would be a major achievement for us,\u201d said Ximenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students can be involved in a number of programs at WEX\nincluding Lunar Caves Analog Test Sites (LCATS) and Lunar Ecosystem and\nArchitectural Prototype (LEAP2). LCATS is a NASA funded Space-STEM learning\ncurriculum. The LCATS program environment engages a pipeline of motivated\nmiddle and high school students selected from San Antonio, Texas area school\ndistricts to assist aerospace professionals solve real-world space exploration\ntechnology development challenges through investigations of science\nexperiments, space exploration mission operations, technology development, and\nhabitability system architectures for Space-STEM learning performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are always seeking new ways to promote the LCATS program<\/a> and the adventure of a career in space exploration,\u201d said Ximenes. \u201cOne of our marketing videos for LCATS was awarded a National Science Foundation Facilitators Choice Recognition in their 2018 STEM FOR ALL VIDEO SHOWCASE annual event. See video: (http:\/\/stemforall2018.videohall.com\/presentations\/1300<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ximenes said they will likely produce another video this\nyear that will have more focus on the student accomplishments and hands-on\nprojects they have been involved with. \u201cWe also will be accepting our 3rd\ncohort of new students into the program, beginning in the fall semester.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n