K-12/STEM Outreach

Need Your Support

The San Antonio Post’s K-12/STEM Outreach Program focuses on getting children excited about engineering, math, and science with the hope that someday they will pursue careers in engineering, architecture, construction or other related professions.

The Post selected several programs to support over the years with volunteers and/or sponsorships. We have listed these programs below so you can plan ahead to participate and help us get the word out to others who may be interested in participating.

If you have any questions about our K-12/STEM program, please contact our STEM Program Coordinator, Scott Mikos. What if you participate in an activity not listed?

We depend on our member’s continued involvement in the community to help us improve our K-12/STEM program and support to the local community. If you’ve participated in other community outreach events focused on either K-12/STEM, or even college students, to discuss engineering, science, or math related topics throughout the year, then please let us know.

All you need to do is send an e-mail our STEM POCs listed above on the topic/subject of the activity, when/where it was held, who you did, and the POC’s information (that way we will have POC’s contact information so maybe the Post can also support that event in the future).

SAME Engineering & Construction Camps

Each year, SAME hosts Engineering & Construction Camps in partnership with the military services to provide high school students (rising sophomore, junior, senior) with first-hand experience in engineering, construction, and related skills. The camps rely on Posts to provide financial support to campers and also provide mentors and volunteers to help run the camps.

Location/Timeframe: June through July

• U.S. Army Camp – Vicksburg, MS
• U.S. Marine Camp – Camp Lejeune, NC
• U.S. Navy Camp – Point Hueneme, CA
• U.S. Air Force Academy Camp – Colorado Springs, CO
• U.S. Air Force Camp – Scott AFB, IL

Participation: High school student applicants and Post Young Professional and Enlisted volunteers as Camp Mentors

Participation Level Required: Up to six days and travel to the camps is required

Post Commitment: Each year, the Post tries to sponsor (registration and travel) at least one camper to each of the camps and a mentor.

K-12/STEM Events Supported

The following are the type of K-12/STEM events our Post typically supports throughout the year:

• MATHCOUNTS: The Post provides volunteers for two MATHCOUNTS events held locally during the year – a Regional Competition in the Spring at UTSA/St Mary’s University and the Mathletes in Action Competition (supported by the San Antonio Spurs) at the AT&T Center in the Fall.
• National Engineers Week: Our Post and its sustaining members support San Antonio’s Engineer Week activities with volunteers and participants. The Post also provides a sponsorship for the event to help support student participation in the various events. 
• Alamo Regional Science and Engineering Fair: The Post provides volunteers to serve as judges for this event held at St. Mary’s University for students in grades 6-12. 
• Junior Academy of Science Program: The Post provides volunteers to serve as judges for this event held at different locations throughout the City each year such as UTSA or local high schools. Unlike the typically science fair where volunteers judge the student project displays, judges listen to student oral presentations and review their wrtten reports on the projects.
• Texas State Science and Engineering Fair: The Post provides volunteers to serve as judges for this event held at Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center downtown for students in grades 6-12. The Post also typically awards cash prizes to students selected by the our judges.
• John Jay Academy Science and Engineering Fair: Held in the Dec, this is typically the last K-12 event supported by the Post each year. The Post provides volunteers to serve as judges for student project displays held at the John Jay Academy.
• SA BEST Robot Competition: This event is sponsored by the San Antonio Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology (SA BEST) organization. The Post provides volunteers to serve as judges, referees and other support staff for this event held at St. Mary’s University. On the competition day, middle/high school teams go head-on with each other in a thrilling science-fair-turned-sports-event robot competition. The Post also provides a sponsorship and its own special Post award for the event. Judge volunteers are used prior to the competition to judge robot project notebooks and oral presentations by the school teams or on the competition day for special awards. The Post also has supported other robot competitions in the past such as the Get-Excied-About-Robots (GEAR) and First Droid competitions with volunteers and/or sponsorships.
• Robotic Workshops: The Post provides a sponsorship to assist local area community colleges such as Northeast Lakeview College which operates summer robotics workshops for students. The Post also volunteers to assist in follow-on competitions to these workshops.
• School Career Days: The Post provides guest speakers throughout the year to support local elementary/middle/high school career days. The Post is committed to helping students learn more about engineering/architecture/contruction and related career fields. Speakers talk about what they do in their professions and how important it is to our community and nation.
• San Antonio GIS Day: SAGIS Day showcases the new and groundbreaking ways that local and regional organizations are using Geographic Information Systems technology for local middle/high school students. The Post supports the event held with volunteers for presentations and the support staff and provides a sponsorship to enable students to attend the event. Post sustaining members also sponsor exhibit booths on GIS at the event. 
• Design Treasures Events: This event is sponsored by the Society of Design Adminstration (SDA). The event exposes 4th and 5th grade students to engineering, architecture and construction by having displays and presentations that students move around through during the event. The Post started its support of this event with a volunteer judge for special awards and a small sponsorship. The Post expects to expand its support of this event in the future.