Twelve local students from Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and South Coast communities in Massachusetts recently graduated from the summertime Advanced Studies & Leadership Program (ASLP) Science / Technology / Engineering / Math (STEM) course as the inaugural class of Vineyard Wind’s scholarship recipients.
The Vineyard Wind scholarships sponsored full tuition and related expenses for the three-week resident summer camp at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. The program is designed to encourage minority and female students to pursue STEM professions and career opportunities. Based on academic achievement and financial need, Vineyard Wind scholarships were awarded to 7th grade scholars from Barnstable (2), Dartmouth (2), Falmouth (2), Martha’s Vineyard (1), New Bedford (2) and Wareham (3).
The scholarships are funded by Vineyard Wind, with a goal of recruiting, mentoring and training local residents for careers in offshore wind.
The developer notes it has made a strong commitment to support offshore wind technical training and career development programs, including a separate $2 million Wind Workforce initiative undertaken in partnership with vocational schools, community colleges and other local organizations.
With the availability of Vineyard Wind’s scholarships, the Cape Cod Collaborative and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy were able to expand ASLP recruitment to include school districts in the South Coast region. More than 200 middle school students in Massachusetts from Cape Cod, the Islands and the South Coast participated in ASLP this year based on MCAS scores, teacher recommendations and academic achievements.
Students participated a series of classroom and hands-on study activities that featured demonstrations and interactive work with technology and science labs. Course offerings included “Power Engineering and Renewable Energy,” “Navigation and Shiphandling,” “Use of Remotely Operated Vehicles in Oceanography,” “Marine Science of Cape Cod” and “Emergency Management.”
