Texas Space Grant Consortium

Texas Space Grant Consortium
By Congressman Henry Cuellar

Washington, DC- Is there life on Mars? Are there other planets out there just like ours? There is a big world of questions out there, and I am confident that America's students will one day find the answers.

Today, students and teachers in the 28th Congressional District have the opportunity to influence the course of space exploration as we know it. Given the opportunity and the resources, there are countless children in our classrooms today who could become astronauts, space engineers or rocket scientists. That is why it is so important to take advantage of organizations such as the Texas Space Grant Consortium, whose mission is to further education and research initiatives in the field of aeronautics. They can provide our students with endless possibilities, scholarships, and grant opportunities to make their career dreams come true.

The Space Grant program awards scholarships and fellowships to students across the country, allowing for practical educational and research experiences in aeronautics, space science, earth science and related fields. The program also offers workshops and after-school programs that help faculty and teachers attract students in science oriented careers. Despite much advancement, Space Education is still an underdeveloped field in America, but the importance of space education to our nation cannot be underestimated. I highly recommend that our schools engage in space education programs. Space education has the potential to capture the imagination of our children and stimulate their natural curiosity.

Many programs like these exist in our country today. They bring important and exciting information to our children. Since 2004, there have been 22 Texas Space Grant activities in the 28th Congressional District alone. It is my hope that we can continue to work together to make sure that our children and our country have every available resource. This goal is only furthered by the participation and existence of programs such as the Texas Space Grant Consortium. I invite our universities and Independent School Districts to take part in this consortium. The benefits they provide will be enriching not only for Texas, but for the country as well.

I am grateful to the Texas Space Grant Consortium for its good work and hope that our district and our country continue to support it, engage in it, and promote space education in our classrooms as we continue to take steps into a future full of endless possibilities for all mankind.

In the world of space exploration and education, the sky's the limit. Those who came before us have opened the doors for discovery, and it is our duty to continue in their heroic footsteps. To remain globally competitive, the training of new young minds in math, science and space technology is vitally important. Thus, as our country continues to grow and develop, it is paramount to maintain active educational programs for space exploration in our schools. In a field in which our successes set us apart from the rest of the world, training our children is essential for them to progress along with our country and our state.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/speech/tx28_cuellar/060404.html