The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) hosted the Fort Meade Alliance’s Fall Tech Mania, providing more than 100 ninth grade students with interactive technology demonstrations and insights into STEM careers.
Students from Anne Arundel, Howard and Prince George’s County schools participated in the Oct. 22 event, which was held at DISA headquarters at Fort George G. Meade. DISA Chief of Staff, Colonel Mark E. Rosenstein, welcomed the students and provided an overview of the agency. He discussed the vital importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education to military and national security careers.
DISA staff members and representatives from FMA member companies DBI Architects, Leidos and Lockheed Martin conducted hands-on presentations designed to engage student interest and spark curiosity about STEM subjects.
- DBI Architects showcased emerging physical and virtual modeling technologies, including 3-D printing and building information modeling (BIM).
- Leidos demonstrated real-world cybersecurity threat scenarios using its virtual CyberNEXS training platform.
- Lockheed Martin engaged students in an interactive game of pong, using an open-source laser light shot projector and USB controllers as an exercise to illustrate how the system was designed and developed.
- DISA provided a tour of their massive lab and discussed how the agency enables secure communication among military forces, protecting communication networks and the Department of Defense’s information infrastructure.
“A highly educated workforce is key to economic growth and job creation in the Fort Meade region,” FMA Education and Workforce Chair, Penny Cantwell said. “We designed Tech Mania to help address that need by getting young people excited about STEM and demonstrating how they can use STEM disciplines to build a career.”
Since its inception in 2008, more than 2,000 students from several central Maryland counties have participated in Tech Mania. The program is held twice each year, in the Fort Meade region in the fall and in Baltimore County in the spring.
To learn more about how your company can get involved, contact Will Burns at wburns@ftmeadealliance.org.
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