Cherry Point-Based Fleet Readiness Center East Receives Honor in Supporting STEM Education
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Fleet Readiness Center East (FRC East) has received the 2017 Outstanding Business and Industry Award from the N.C. Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education (SMT) Center. FRC East will be recognized at the annual SMT celebration on April 29 in Raleigh, N.C.
This award recognizes a North Carolina business or industry whose support has strengthened science, mathematics, and technology education programs in either formal or informal settings.
“Fleet Readiness Center East is a leader in STEM initiatives in eastern North Carolina,” said Dr. Sam Houston, CEO and president of the SMT Center. “Fleet Readiness is a model for other businesses attempting to partner with the education sector.”
Fleet Readiness Center East began operations during World War II at MCAS Cherry Point, N.C. Its initial workload consisted of several well-known aircraft, including the Corsair fighter and the Mitchell B-25 and Marauder B-26 bombers. The depot continues to provide maintenance, engineering and logistics support on a variety of aircraft, engines and components for all branches of the U.S. armed forces.
Today, FRC East is a modern industrial complex that has considerable impact on the economy of North Carolina and the communities surrounding the air station. With annual payroll that exceeds $275 million, the facility is North Carolina’s largest industrial employer east of Interstate 95.
For more than 10 years the company has developed regional collaborative programs in STEM education to support project-based learning with a focus on aerospace engineering. FRC East also sponsors a mobile fabrications laboratory for students and educators use.
The N.C. Science, Mathematics, and Technology (SMT) Center is focused on improving education as a means of providing all students in North Carolina with the knowledge and skills to have successful careers, be good citizens, and advance the economy of the state. Promoting innovation and change in education, the SMT Center celebrates educational excellence in North Carolina by supporting educators, engaging students, and advancing the growing importance of having a STEM-educated workforce.
Contact: Lisa Rhoades at 919/991-5111 or lrhoades@bwfund.org