Texas STEM Program Newsletter: Local Resources and Guide

Texas has the most diverse STEM career landscape of any state. Houston has Mission Control. Austin has Tesla and Apple. Dallas has Lockheed Martin. The Permian Basin employs more petroleum engineers than anywhere else on earth. And Texas STEM competitions are among the most competitive in the country. For Texas STEM teachers, the challenge is not finding local context for a newsletter. It is deciding which of the extraordinary local resources to feature.

NASA Johnson Space Center: Houston's crown jewel

NASA JSC is the control center for human spaceflight. Every manned mission since Gemini has been managed from Houston. The Artemis lunar exploration program is managed from JSC. Astronaut training happens here. The International Space Station is monitored 24 hours a day from Building 30. JSC employs thousands of aerospace engineers, flight controllers, and scientists and runs one of the country's most active K-12 education programs.

For Houston area students, visiting JSC is a field trip. For students elsewhere in Texas, it is accessible and deeply relevant to any space or aerospace unit.

Austin's tech transformation

Austin has become one of the most dynamic tech cities in the country. Tesla relocated its headquarters to Austin. Apple built a major Austin campus. Samsung Semiconductor operates a major fabrication plant in Taylor, just outside Austin. Dell is headquartered in Round Rock. Oracle moved to Austin. Hundreds of startups have followed. For Central Texas students, software engineering, semiconductor design, and product technology careers are available locally.

Houston energy engineering

Houston is the energy capital of the world. ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, and hundreds of oil and gas companies have headquarters or major operations there. The energy transition is transforming Houston into a clean energy hub as well, with wind, solar, and hydrogen research growing rapidly. For Houston-area students, chemical engineering, petroleum engineering, and environmental engineering are local career destinations with strong hiring.

Texas's semiconductor and defense sectors

Texas Instruments in Dallas is one of the world's largest semiconductor companies. NXP Semiconductors has major Texas operations. Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth builds the F-35 fighter. Raytheon has significant Texas operations. L3Harris, Bell Helicopter, and dozens of defense companies employ engineers and scientists in North Texas. Samsung's Austin area fabrication is expanding significantly. These industries collectively represent an enormous local STEM employer for Texas students.

Template: Texas STEM newsletter excerpt

"This semester our aerospace and physics units are connecting to NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. JSC manages all human spaceflight operations and is preparing for the Artemis missions to the Moon. We are scheduling a virtual tour with a JSC educator in November. We are also registering for the Texas FIRST Robotics regional in January. Students who want to join the team need to sign up with their engineering teacher by the end of this month."

Texas STEM competitions

FIRST Robotics Texas has one of the most competitive and well-organized district systems in the country. Science Olympiad Texas runs competitive state championships. The Texas Science and Engineering Fair connects to ISEF. UIL Science competitions are a uniquely Texas STEM competition tradition that brings rigorous academic science competition to schools across the state. MATHCOUNTS Texas is highly competitive. Texas students compete at the highest national levels in every major STEM competition.

Daystage makes it straightforward to keep Texas families connected to the extraordinary local STEM resources and career opportunities throughout the school year.