1. United States
2. Ark.
3. Letter

One of the largest youth outreach programs from the U.S. Department of Defense, which runs approximately 85 STARBASE programs mostly in the United States, is in danger of shutting down due to a critical funding crisis. These STARBASE initiatives introduce kids across the country to science, technology, engineering and math careers through invaluable hands-on STEM education experiences. However, the programs are facing an imminent threat as the House and Senate have yet to reconcile stark differences in proposed funding levels for the upcoming fiscal year. Without compromise from Congress to approve the $60 million in funding previously passed by the House, the DoD has been instructed to operate under the Senate's severely reduced $20 million proposal, which rapidly depleted available funds in just the first quarter. Unless additional federal funding is secured immediately, all STARBASE sites could be forced to shutter operations by early February, terminating over a thousand staff positions nationwide and depriving countless students of vital STEM learning opportunities that equip them with essential skills for the future.