JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. –
Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Lakehurst and Ocean County College (OCC) recently renewed their Educational Partnership Agreement (EPA) to extend education outreach programs and encourage OCC engineering students to pursue continuing education at affiliated universities.
“At NAWCAD Lakehurst, we’re always on the lookout for up and coming minds with a passion for problem solving,” said Kathleen Donnelly, NAWCAD Lakehurst executive director. “The EPA with OCC gives us the opportunity to directly inspire students to enter STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math] degree programs with the goal that they will one day join our Navy’s STEM workforce.”
The EPA includes OCC’s continued involvement in NAWCAD Lakehurst’s Capstone Project Program, which provides the opportunity for students to solve current engineering problems, and provides both academic and career advice.
OCC advises graduates with associate degrees in engineering to enroll in continuing education programs at other institutions with standing EPAs. Partnered schools include Rowan University, The College of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Fairleigh Dickinson University.
The EPAs made with these institutes allow NAWCAD LKE to recruit qualified students into the Navy workforce.
NAWCAD Lakehurst and OCC also host outreach events to inspire students interested in STEM to major in related degree programs.
“Thanks to the renewed EPA between NAWCAD Lakehurst and OCC, outreach efforts can continue to engage and encourage students to enter STEM fields,” said Haidy Oliveira, NAWCAD Lakehurst education outreach coordinator. “These students have the potential to become valuable team members and work at Lakehurst in the near future, where they can put their passion and innovation to use supporting our Naval Aviation mission.”
OCC hosts the annual Cardboard Canoe Competition sponsored by NAWCAD Lakehurst, which challenges K-12 students throughout Ocean County to construct and employ seaworthy vessels made from unconventional materials.
In addition, OCC participates in Engineering Week, an annual event meant to encourage high school students who have previously shown interest in math and science to enter STEM fields.