Video: How NASA Engages the Next Generation of STEM Scholars

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, STEM jobs are expected to increase by 55 percent over the next decade. But we might not have enough workers with the skills to fill these jobs.

So, how to get more students interested in pursuing careers in science and technology? Give them a chance to build spaceflight hardware for the International Space Station while still in school.

NASA has partnered with high schools across the country in an initiative titled, High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware, or HUNCH. The agency provides materials equipment and mentoring, in return NASA not only gets usable hardware but an inspired next generation of scientists and engineers.

"In order to support the International Space Station, we're constantly having to build new hardware to send to space, but as well, we need to make training hardware on the ground," said Bob Zeek, project manager of HUNCH. "So, we ask ourselves, what if we got high school students to build this training hardware, and get them out of the text book, get them some hands-on lessons to work with? And by doing that, we'll be inspiring the next generation of students."

To learn more, check out the video below from NASA: