NASA Awards $5 Million to Expand STEM Learning Nationwide

Grants will support 29 institutions to deliver NASA STEM experiences to diverse audiences.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 2:31am

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NASA has awarded more than $5 million to 29 institutions across the country to expand and strengthen science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning beyond the classroom. The awards are designed to help build skills that lead directly to STEM careers, with the organizations collaborating with libraries, after-school programs, and youth-serving groups to provide sustainable learning opportunities that inspire future innovators.

Why it matters

NASA's STEM Innovator and Community Anchor awards aim to reach students where they are, whether in libraries, after-school programs, or museums, in order to build a powerful network of collaborators who can deliver NASA's discoveries and resources to transform outcomes for the next generation of explorers and innovators.

The details

The STEM Innovator awards, totaling nearly $4.5 million, will go to 18 institutions that will act as regional hubs to build partnerships and advance innovative informal STEM education practices. The Community Anchor awards, totaling over $547,000, will support 11 institutions in creating new connections between their local communities and NASA. All of the awards are part of NASA's TEAMS Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) program, which engages formal and informal educators, students, and communities in the agency's missions.

  • The awards were announced on January 30, 2026.

The players

Elaine Ho

Associate administrator of the Office of STEM Engagement at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a U.S. government agency responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.

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What they’re saying

“NASA's TEAM II awards enable us to reach students where they are, be it a library, after-school program, or museum. By extending NASA's discoveries to students everywhere we can build a powerful network of collaborators who are primed to deliver resources and programming that can transform outcomes for the next generation of explorers”

— Elaine Ho, Associate administrator of the Office of STEM Engagement at NASA Headquarters (Mirage News)

The takeaway

These NASA grants will empower a diverse network of institutions to bring NASA's STEM resources and programming directly to students in their local communities, helping to inspire the next generation of innovators and explorers.