STEM Superstar Program To Educate Harford, Cecil Youths

From CERDEC: The U.S. Army, in partnership with Harford and Cecil county public schools, will kick off the second five-year cycle of the STEM Superstar program beginning Monday, Oct. 16. The annual program aims to introduce every elementary student in those counties to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM.

The STEM Superstar program was designed by the U.S. Army’s Communications-Electronics Research,
Development and Engineering Center, known as CERDEC, after working with the two school systems and
other Army STEM organizations on APG to enhance the area’s current STEM outreach program
offerings.

STEM Superstar was conceived by CERDEC after working with the two counties’ school systems, as well
as other Army STEM organizations on APG to identify how best to enhance the area’s current STEM
outreach program offerings. The purpose of the program is to help demystify the world of STEM earlyon,
and it aligns the practical application of an Army research and development center with the schools’
curricula.

“It’s hard at that level to do truly skills-based STEM programming, the way you can when you get to
higher grade levels. We wanted to bring it to their level and make it something engaging and fun,” said
Erica Bertoli, CERDEC Educational Outreach Program lead.

Last April, CERDEC completed the STEM Superstar program’s first five-year cycle, visiting all 50
elementary schools across Harford and Cecil county public schools. In the first five years, STEM
Superstar has reached, educated and inspired more than 21,000 students.

More information on the genesis and purpose of CERDEC’s STEM Superstar program, as explained by
Bertoli, can be found here.

For a complete list and schedule of participating schools this year, or for interview inquiries, please
email the CERDEC Corporate and Public Communication Office at usarmy.apg.cerdec.mail.cerdec@mail.mil.

About CERDEC

CERDEC actively advances Soldier capabilities that enable situational awareness and understanding,
establish and secure communications, and protect Soldiers from surprise attack.

As an Army applied research center, CERDEC provides the diverse technical expertise and operational
awareness and understanding to develop, engineer and foresee essential Army needs in mission
command and intelligence technologies, applications and networks designed to connect and protect the
Soldier. Whether Soldier-borne or on vehicle or aviation platforms, the Army relies on CERDEC’s
technical expertise to develop and/or seek out capability advancements to address Soldier needs.

CERDEC works with Defense Department and national basic research organizations and labs to influence
research investment and adopt, adapt and mature relevant scientific breakthroughs. CERDEC maintains
close ties to the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command’s centers of excellence and operational units
to stay in touch with the evolving realities of the Soldier environment, anticipate challenges, refine
requirements and inform operational tactics, techniques and procedures.

For more information about CERDEC, please visit www.cerdec.army.mil.

About CERDEC Outreach

CERDEC Educational Outreach provides in-school and summer programs for all levels of STEM interest in
cooperation with organizations across Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, the
Army Educational Outreach Program and CERDEC scientists and engineers, with the goal of creating
opportunity and excitement among the next generation of STEM professionals.

The success and strength of the United States today and into the future depends on our ability to
innovate. CERDEC technology is meeting the needs of today’s Soldier through cutting-edge
advancements in electronics. CERDEC Outreach is looking to the future, preparing the next generation of
STEM professionals through one-of-a-kind programs and partnerships with the Army Educational
Outreach Program, Team APG STEM and local school systems and community groups.

The goal of the programs offered by CERDEC Outreach is to combine science and engineering with
creative thinking and problem solving activities. CERDEC Outreach programs leverage the natural
creativity of children and apply it to the core concepts of STEM.

For more information about CERDEC Outreach, please visit www.cerdec.army.mil/student_programs.

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