THE PENNSYLVANIA SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM (PSGC) IS COMPRISED OF SIXTEEN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AROUND THE COMMONWEALTH. THE LEAD INSTITUTION IS THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY (PENN STATE) - UNIVERSITY PARK CAMPUS. THE AFFLLIATES INCLUDE PENN STATE - ABINGTON CAMPUS CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY CHEYNEY UNIVERSITY DREXEL UNIVERSITY FRANKLINAND MARSHALL UNIVERSITY GANNON UNIVERSITY GETTYSBURG COLLEGE LEHIGH UNIVERSITY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY MONTGOMERY COMMUNITY COLLEGE SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSITY TEMPLE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AND WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY. PSGC PARTNERS WITH ONE INDUSTRY THE NATIONAL AEROSPACE TRAINING AND RESEARCH CENTER (NASTAR).THE PSGC SPONSORS ACTIVITIES AND DESIGNS PROGRAMMING TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE NATIONAL SPACE GRANT COLLEGE AND FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. THE MISSION OF THE PSGC IS TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PENNSYLVANIANS TO LEARN ABOUT AND PARTICIPATE IN NASA'S AERONAUTICS AND SPACE PROGRAMS BY SUPPORTING AND ENHANCING STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS. THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS AT OUR LEAD INSTITUTION AND AT THE AFFILIATE CAMPUSES ARE DESIGNED TO SUIT THE INDIVIDUAL STRENGTHS OF THOSE INSTITUTIONS WHILECOMPLIMENTING THE PSGK!: STRATEGIC GOALS AND CONSIDERING THE NEEDS OF THE COMMONWEALTH. OUR PROGRAMMING EMPHASIZES SUPPORT FOR NASA-RELATED UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH BY SUPPORT OF FELLOWSHIPS SCHOLARSHIPS AND HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS. DIVERSITY IS ALWAYS A CONSIDERATION IN PROGRAMMING AS WE STRIVE TO ENGAGE MORE STUDENTS FROM MINORITY AND UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS IN THE STEM FIELDS. THE CURRENT PROGRAMMING OF OUR PSGC CONCENTRATES OUR SUPPORT AND EFFORT ON IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS WITH AUTHENTIC HANDS-ON STUDENT EXPERIENCES. TO THIS END WE FUND A SERIES OF PROVEN ONGOING HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS AROUND THE STATE AS WELL AS STATE-WIDEMINI-GRANT PROGRAM FOR INNOVATIVE IDEAS RELATED TO AUTHENTIC HANDS-ON STUDENT EXPERIENCES. ADDITIONALLY WE HAVE ALSO IMPLEMENTED A STATE-WIDE RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE SEED GRANT PROGRAM TO ADDRESS ENABLE GROWTH OF NASA-RELEVANT HIGHER EDUCATION ACROSS THE STATE. IN THE PAST THE CONSORTIUM HAS SUPPORTED PRECOLLEGE PROGRAMMING SUCH AS SHORT- AND LONG-TERM TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTWORKSHOPS FOR BOTH URBAN AND RURAL IN-SERVICE EDUCATORS. THIS PROPOSAL CONTAINS A STATEWIDE PRECOLLEGE MIN-GRANT PROGRAM THAT CAN SUPPORT EITHER TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OR THE ENGAGEMENT OF K-12 STUDENTS SPECIFICALLY MIDDLE SCHOOL AGED THAT OCCURS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR.