Partnership with Northrup Grumman brings new educational opportunities to HCC

This fall marked the beginning of a great partnership with Northrup Grumman, a leading aerospace and defense technology company. Their Laser Systems office in Apopka pledged to help our youth get access to more educational opportunities outside of the classroom.

It all began when a group of Northup Grumman employees led by Luis Carillo reached out to our College and Career Access Program. Inspired by the program’s work preparing students for high school and post-graduation options, the employees decided they wanted to get involved. However, this team wanted to do more than just write a check, so they began helping us create educational events.

Northurp Grumman employee works with students

The first project that we’ve partnered on is the Tutoring Station, a program that offers students homework help without appointments. Every Friday, Northrup Grumman tutors explain the math and science concepts that they deal with daily to students at every grade level. In addition to assisting students academically, these working engineers also serve as mentors. They encourage students to consider careers in one of the rapidly growing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields.

Since starting in September, the Tutoring Station has become a hit with the community. Our initial group of four tutors and nine students grew to include 14 tutors (who volunteer weekly or bimonthly) and 28 students. In fact, the demand for tutors is so high that we’ve brought in groups such as the Society of Hispanic Engineers and individual volunteers to help out. We are continuing to welcome tutors, so we can provide one on one tutoring.

Our newest project with Northrup Grumman is coming up on Friday, December 6. They are helping us bring the Orlando Science Center (OSC) to HCC for a Science Extravaganza. This event will give students a chance to explore the wild world of science through fun hands-on activities.

Local students in grades 5 – 9 are welcome to attend, however space is limited to 30 children. If you know a student who might want to come, encourage them to register today. Call Karen Moran at (727) 424-3039 to reserve a spot at the Science Extravaganza.