Major General R. Martin Umbarger, the Adjutant General of Indiana, cordially invites all NIDIA members to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for the STARBASE Indianapolis Academy located at Stout Field, Headquarters of the Indiana National Guard, 2002 S Holt Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46241 on Friday, February 20, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. Additional information about STARBASE and directions to the ceremony: RSVP by midnight, 13 February 2015 POC: Christy Ruzga at 317-247-3300 x79956 Alt POC: Brande Morgan at 260.415.7402 Military: Duty Uniform   Civilian: Business Casual View map of Event and STARBASE On behalf of the staff of STARBASE Indiana, it is my pleasure to invite you to the ribbon cutting ceremony for our STARBASE Indianapolis Academy located at Stout Field, Headquarters of the Indiana National Guard. This ceremony will commence on Friday, February 20th, 2015 at 1 p.m. Directions provided on the attached site map.  DoD STARBASE is a nationwide STEM program, which has graduated almost a million students over the last 20 years. STARBASE Indiana opened its first STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) academy in Fort Wayne over three years ago with over 3000 graduates. To continue the successes of our first Indiana location, we are excited to expand our reach to the Indianapolis region. Our new academy will reach over 900 students annually with its unique blend of experiential learning.  STARBASE is a premier STEM academy that focuses on elementary students, primarily fifth through eighth graders. The goal is to motivate them to explore and embrace Science, Technology, Engineering and Math as they continue their education and advance to a future career. Our free of charge academies serve students that are historically under-represented in STEM. The program engages students through the inquiry-based curriculum with its “hands-on, mind-on” experiential activities like robotics, rocketry, 3D printing, Computer Aided Design (CAD), chemistry, and much more. Teamwork is stressed as they work together to explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate concepts.  By exposing youth to the technological environments and positive role models found on military installations, we will provide 25 hours (over five days) of exemplary instruction using a time tested curriculum, which meets or exceeds national standards. We will nurture a winning network of collaborators and build mutual loyalty.  Please join us in celebrating this monumental event to bring elementary STEM education to the Indianapolis area. For more information on our academies, please visit our website at target=”_blank”>www.starbasein.org or on Facebook at STARBASE Indiana, Indianapolis.

Upcoming NIDIA Events