What is atellite : Background : Mission

SATELLITE (Science and Technology Enriching Lifelong Leadership in Tomorrow's Endeavors) is a non-profit organization run by students from NC State. It is designed to introduce students from rural North Carolina high schools to science and technology related educational and career paths through a five-day retreat on the NC State campus each May. Approximately thirty Satellite scholars experience a wide array of demonstrations, lectures, and hands-on laboratory experiments with the assistance of professors and currently enrolled students from the College of Engineering (COE), the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), College of Textiles (COT), and the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (PAMS).


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In the spring of 1996, several students from North Carolina State University participated in an experimental outreach program designed for motivated current high school sophomores from low income public schools across the state. These schools were targeted because rural school systems generally receive considerably less funding than there urban counterparts. Therefore, students are not provided with as many opportunities to develop to their full academic potential.

The Satellite program was created to address the needs of these students by giving them exposure to resources, ideas, and opportunities that their schools may have been unable to provide. The success of the pilot program in 1996 laid the foundation for what has become the Satellite program. The program has continued to grow with over 70 students applying for the camp.

The goal of the program is to educate these scholars about the endless possibilities that exist within the fields of science and technology, and to inspire them to reach out within their communities and involve others in their love of learning. In addition, these students learn about various opportunities both in and out of the classroom that inspire them to maintain a broad, multidisciplinary outlook while developing into well-rounded, wholly educated individuals.

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The mission of Satellite is to provide students from rural high schools in North Carolina with:

  • opportunities to explore and engage with current issues and career paths in the sciences and in technology-related disciplines through innovative lectures and hands-on laboratory experiences
  • exposure to the university experience through on-campus housing accommodation, tours of university facilities and seminars with current students and university staff
  • personal development activities related to leadership, diversity and cultural awareness
  • motivation for continued educational pursuit and achievement

"Satellite was so much fun! The seminars were interesting, the food was great, the counselors were hilarious and the overall experience was so much more than I expected. I didn't want to leave, but when I did, I was so happy to have experienced it!"
-Geri Butner