Arlington, Va. – The Aerospace Industries Association’s (AIA) American Rocketry Challenge (ARC) today announced that 23 teams from Title I schools in 14 states will receive Northrop Grumman Foundation STEM Innovation Grants, opening the door for hundreds of students to experience science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in a transformative, hands‑on way.
Created by and for the American Rocketry Challenge and sponsored by the Northrop Grumman Foundation, the grant program grew by more than 70 percent this year, helping for the world’s largest student rocketry competition. This season, the Northrop Grumman Foundation is the corporate sponsor of the ARC STEM Innovation Grants.
“STEM education comes alive when students have the opportunity to design, build, and launch something real,” said Eric Fanning, AIA President and CEO. “Through our partnership with the Northrop Grumman Foundation, these grants help ensure that students with limited access to STEM resources have the chance to discover their potential in aerospace and engineering. We can’t wait to see what these new teams create.”
“The Northrop Grumman Foundation is proud to help introduce students to the wonders of rocketry through the STEM Innovation Grants program,” said Agartha Larbi, Vice President of Global Corporate Responsibility at Northrop Grumman. “These important experiences foster curiosity that leads to rewarding lives and careers in STEM.”
Click here for a list of schools receiving ARC STEM Innovation grants this year.
The Northrop Grumman Foundation STEM Innovation Grants were created to open the launchpad for schools that have never competed in the American Rocketry Challenge, giving them the resources, mentoring, and startup support needed to build their first rockets, form their first teams, and take their first bold steps toward future careers in science and technology. The Northrop Grumman Foundation is also a corporate sponsor of the competition, providing a national stage for these students to compete for awards totaling over $100,000.
Through rocketry, students bring classroom concepts to life as they apply physics, engineering, and mathematics to real‑world challenges. Along the way, they build teamwork, confidence, and problem‑solving skills that will propel them into future STEM careers and inspire them to imagine what’s possible.
The American Rocketry Challenge and the Northrop Grumman Foundation remain committed to expanding access to high‑impact STEM experiences and inspiring the next generation of innovators, explorers, and engineers.
For more information about the American Rocketry Challenge, visit rocketrychallenge.org and follow the program on LinkedIn, X/Twitter and Instagram.
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About American Rocketry Challenge
Since 2002, the American Rocketry Challenge, the world’s largest student rocket competition, has engaged more than 110,000 middle and high school students in model rocketry. The annual challenge invites students to design, build, and fly rockets to exacting requirements and gain hands-on experience solving engineering problems. Sponsored by Aerospace Industries Association, the National Association of Rocketry, and more than 15 industry, government, and academia partners, the American Rocketry Challenge is the aerospace and defense industry’s flagship program designed to encourage students to pursue study and careers in STEM. The program has launched countless careers in aerospace and defense, and its alumni are helping to engineer the vehicles that will take us back to the moon, and, one day, to Mars. For more information about American Rocketry Challenge, please visit https:/rocketrychallenge.org or connect on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
