AWARD YEAR: 2023

THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL

DIRECTOR: CRYSTAL HARDEN

PROJECT TITLE: MOREHEAD PLANETARIUM AND SCIENCE CENTER SAUNDERS SCIENCE SCHOLARS PROGRAM SUPPORT

Morehead Planetarium and Science Center (Morehead) launched the Saunders Science Scholars Program (Scholars Program) in 2018 to educate and inspire future scientists in an underserved region of the state. The program currently serves Gates County, a rural community with approximately 10,600 residents and a poverty rate of 14% (see https://censusreporter.org). The program was the direct result of dialogue and consultation with community partners in Gates County, North Carolina, with the goal of matching the strengths of Morehead’s outreach programming to the needs of students and families residing in the county. The program was named for the late Benjamin C. Saunders Sr., an influential educator who served as principal of T.S. Cooper Elementary School in Sunbury, North Carolina, for 27 years and as a math and science classroom teacher at the same school for 10 years. The initial implementation of the program was generously funded through private philanthropy. To achieve the program’s full potential, we seek additional investment from Burroughs Wellcome Fund to support specific programmatic activities, including monthly community engagement events led by the scholars themselves, as well as college tours provided for the scholars and their supporting adults during their annual summer break. The goals of the Scholars Program are: 1) promote interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and its associated career fields; 2) prepare scholars to successfully complete a post-secondary, four-year college curriculum; and 3) demonstrate the importance of community service and social justice in developing well-rounded individuals.

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