Nncs Leadership Symposium: Adding A Leadership Component To Science Education

The NSF Navy Civilian Service (NNCS) program is now in its second year of operation and has embarked on a course to add a significant leadership training component for participating students. This paper will describe the nature and history of NNCS, the rational for the leadership component, and a description of the symposium itself. Also included will be a programmatic overview from the perspective of its origins in ONR’s workforce development programs. NNCS has the following main three goals: • To identify and fully develop a diverse group of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals with advanced degrees to ensure the economic future of the nation; • To foster stronger ties between the university research community and the Navy in order to apply the latest research in a more timely fashion; • To provide new pathways for talented STEM professionals to enter careers at Navy research and development centers. The focus of the NNCS Leadership Symposium is having an initial gathering of students from several different universities across the nation. They will come together to form learning communities across boundaries. Each student will engage with teams of learners, mentors and advisors from differing backgrounds and interests. These teams will provide an environment for learning support, for deep inquiry and encouragement for stretching oneself to take on a leadership role in their respective communities. The paper will conclude with a discussion of the results of an evaluation of the program which was used to gather both student and teacher/mentor input at the symposium, a listing of lessons learned, and plans for the future development and extension of the program. P ge 11959.1