The Service First program is an initiative developed by the Kino-Eye Center to provide rigorous STEM learning opportunities FREE of charge to the children of military service members.
Why Military Families?
Military children often relocate numerous times throughout their K-12 education. Due to disparities in scope and sequence, local/state/federal education standards, and regional testing requirements, these students may miss key learning objectives and content.
Over time, this may result in academic deficiencies that limit options for higher education and professional careers. As children fall behind in school, they also lose their enthusiasm and intrinsic motivation to learn.
Service First addresses these risks by providing a rigorous framework for personal, technical, and intellectual growth. The multi-year academic program combines extra-curricular education enrichment events, project-based learning, and sustained coaching and mentorship.
Why STEM?
By promoting K-12 STEM education, we hope to create a sustainable pipeline for domestic workforce that is capable of meeting the technological demands of an increasingly competitive global economy.
Microsoft, BP, and the Kino-Eye Center have partnered on this initiative to ensure that the children of military service members have the support to excel in higher education.
Service First at a Glance
100% free STEM education program for children of military families
Career readiness and transition support for service members and spouses
Developed by professional engineers, certified K-12 teachers, and university faculty
Focus on development of leadership and teamwork skills
Aligned with K-12 national, state, and local education standards
Project-based STEM learning supported by local coaches and mentors
Industry partners include Microsoft and BP
Supported by Veteran’s Service Organizations
Program Overview
Service First Summer Camp – Students participate in a 5day summer camp experience that provides an intensive introduction to the math, science, engineering, and technology that drives the UAV/UAS industry.
Family Drone Days – As a follow-up to the Service First Summer Camp, students and their families attend a weekend retreat that allows parents to connect more directly with the educational growth of their children. These weekend retreats also foster a sense of community, enabling students to cultivate a peer support network. During these weekend retreats, Service First also provides career enhancement workshops that help service members integrate more competitively into the workforce.
Online Learning Support – Service First includes a structured online learning overlay, which provides educational content and resources to support a progressive acquisition and mastery of academic and technical skills.
Community Coaching and Mentorship – Working with industry partners, community groups, military support organizations, and universities, Service First facilitates ongoing coaching and mentorship support for students within their own communities. Working with these mentors and coaches, students expand their knowledge through project-based learning encounters that encourage the practical application of skills, while also promoting teamwork and collaborative relationships.
Leadership & Teamwork – The emergent global economy requires skilled technical professionals who are also able to effectively lead teams and collaborate with others to execute complex interdisciplinary projects. In order to better position U.S. engineers and tech professionals to rise as leaders in industry, we must supplement technical skills with express training in leadership and teamwork.
In addition to STEM education, Service First acculturates students to the leadership and teamworks skills that will competitively differentiate them in higher education and industry. Our leadership curriculum is developed and delivered by experienced industry professionals and faculty from prominent university leadership centers, including the Rice University Center for Engineering Leadership (RCEL) and the MIT Gordon Engineering Leadership (GEL) program.
Service First launch @ BP Helios
Check out the inaugural Service First – Family Drone Days event at the BP Helios Center in Houston, TX – READ MORE.
