Augusta, Georgia, Aug. 17, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The schools of Richmond County, Georgia, will receive more than $400,000 from the National Math and Science Initiative ( NMSI ), a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming math and science education. The check will be presented at AFCEA TechNet Augusta on August 23 in the Oglethorpe Theater the Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center in Georgia. Media are invited to attend.

The award ceremony will be officiated by Dr. Bernard A. Harris, Jr., CEO of the NMSI and former astronaut, will officiate the award ceremony.

The funding will support the NMSI College Readiness Program , a three-year initiative that helps both teachers and students. The program is designed to ensure more students have access to the challenging classes as well as increase the number of students taking and earning qualifying scores on Advanced Placement math, science and English exams.

The College Readiness Program has reached more than 1,000 public high schools across 34 states and produced unparalleled positive student outcomes across a variety of settings—urban and rural, disadvantaged and affluent, traditional and charter.

“Our first school in the area, Grovetown [High School], part of Columbia County Schools, saw two seniors this past year achieve part-time employment with a high-technology federal agency at Fort Gordon,” says Col. Ed Veiga, USA (Ret.), senior director, Military Families Mission, NMSI. “These students had been very engaged in the offerings of STEM/Advanced Placement course work.”

Through the Military Families Mission , NMSI also is ensuring students of service members have access to consistent, high-quality educational opportunities whenever or wherever their families may be transferred. Funding for this program is provided under a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Defense Department; the director of Department of Defense Laboratories, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, is the agent for the program.

NMSI, launched in 2007, offers programs that provide a continuum of support for students and teachers from elementary school through college. Its programs have boosted Advanced Placement exam performance in partner schools by 10 times the national average. To date, the initiative has affected 2 million students, more than 50,000 teachers, over 1,000 high schools and 44 universities.

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AFCEA International , established in 1946, is a non-profit membership association serving the military, government, industry and academia. Join online .

Maryann Lawlor AFCEA International (703) 631-6179 mlawlor@afcea.org