West OC Times

Rep. Michelle Steel and 37 of her colleagues have penned a letter urging the Appropriations Committee to ensure full funding for the Department of Defense (DoD) STARBASE program in the Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations process. In the letter, the lawmakers stated, “We write to respectfully request that the Defense Subcommittee fund the Department of Defense (DoD) STARBASE Program at $60 million for Fiscal Year 2025. This would represent a $7 million increase in total enacted FY24 funding.”

Highlighting the positive impact of the program, they emphasized, “Strong evidence-based evaluations of program participants show significant improvement in the students’ understanding, interest, and ability in math and science, which has led to increased enthusiasm in pursuing STEM education.”

In conclusion, the lawmakers expressed, “Interest and knowledge in STEM are important to our nation’s future as we strive to build and sustain a highly educated and skilled workforce capable of meeting the advanced scientific and technological requirements of the DoD. We therefore ask that the STARBASE receive your full support and thank you for your past support of the program.”

The DoD STARBASE program is renowned for its effectiveness in providing STEM education awareness to elementary and secondary school students. Evaluations have shown a marked improvement in students' understanding and interest in math and science, leading to a greater enthusiasm for STEM education.

The program, which is considered one of the most cost-effective programs in the federal government, has served a significant number of students nationwide. In the 2021-2022 school year alone, over 79,618 students in 1,558 schools across 611 school districts benefited from the program. Additionally, the program documented over 10,000 volunteers who contributed valuable hours to support its initiatives.

Rep. Steel and Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA) have been actively supporting the STARBASE program, with the bipartisan Congressional STARBASE Caucus serving as a focal point for members dedicated to backing the initiative. Last year, Rep. Steel was recognized by STARBASE Los Alamitos for her advocacy efforts on behalf of the program's students.

The call for full funding of the STARBASE program underscores the lawmakers' commitment to promoting STEM education and cultivating a skilled workforce to meet the evolving technological demands of the nation.