Elgin Community College receives NASA award to host robotics competition

NASA recently recognized Elgin Community College's excellence in STEM education, awarding a $50,000 grant to lead a robotics competition.

The award was secured through the proposal “Robotics Rising: ECC’s Path to NASA Innovation,” written and submitted by Principal Investigator Farah Bennani, Ph.D., dean of math, science, and engineering at ECC, positioning ECC as one of only 30 institutions nationwide to receive this highly competitive recognition.

Notably, ECC is the only community college in Illinois to achieve this honor, joining the University of Illinois Chicago as the state’s only other recipient.

This achievement underscores ECC’s pivotal role in advancing STEM innovation and education, standing alongside leading institutions across the country.

The award will support a transformative robotics competition aligned with NASA’s “Moon to Mars” objectives. The event will immerse 40 diverse students in designing and programming lunar rovers, assuming specialized team roles, and solving real-world challenges inspired by NASA’s mission.

This hands-on experience will enhance students’ technical, leadership, and problem-solving skills while inspiring them to pursue academic and professional pathways in STEM fields.

“Being the only community college in Illinois is a testament to ECC’s excellence in innovation and student success,” Bennani said. “Hosting this event will elevate ECC’s reputation as a leader in STEM education, strengthen our regional STEM networks, and contribute to building a diverse and skilled workforce ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow. It also reinforces ECC’s mission to expand educational opportunities for underrepresented groups in STEM.”

This distinction elevates ECC’s reputation as a leader in STEM education, strengthens its partnerships with NASA and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI), and enhances its role in preparing a diverse, skilled workforce equipped to address the challenges of tomorrow.

It also reinforces ECC’s mission to expand educational opportunities for underrepresented groups in STEM.