Interleaving Space Weather and Global Positioning System concepts into STEM outreach

Conducting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) outreach is a critical supporting effort to the United States Military Academy’s (USMA) primary mission of developing leaders of character. Highlighted are four ongoing engagement activities where West Point faculty and cadets integrated a newly developed Global Positioning System (GPS) STEM outreach module: the Lainis STEMinar, Summer Leader Experience (SLE), Center for Leader Development (CLD) in STEM, and the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP). The module includes a hands-on-interactive logic board that teaches and reinforces the basics of critical thinking and problem-solving skills, a 3D printed geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) training kit, and cadet and faculty led discussions on the integration of GPS into our daily lives. Taken together close to 250 children, and countless students and faculty were engaged in STEM related activities at West Point, across New York, and in Texas.