START Partners

Space Tango is a Lexington STEM startup that designs and builds automated, integrated systems for conducting scientific/biomedical research in microgravity for academic and industrial laboratories on the International Space Station. Space Tango is committed to building a STEM culture in the Lexington area, by providing outreach workshops (including flying student experiments), hosting events, and providing student internships. UK and Space Tango have recently finalized a Master Agreement to facilitate projects and internships between the two entities. 

The University of Kentucky is committed to serving the commonwealth and beyond.  The university houses 16 colleges and professional schools and 200+ academic programs.  Specifically, the College of Medicine and Department of STEM Education are collaborating to initiate the START program.  In addition, UK's Department of Transformative Learning is committed to supporting START students by providing services such as academic coaching, and teacher training that focuses on pedagogy for underserved populations.

The University of Kentucky See Blue STEM Camp is open to elementary and middle schoolers to provide STEM experience over the summer. Camp experiences include, but are not limited to – Entomology, Engineering Design, Career Exploration, Chemistry, Biology, Robotics, and much more. 

Academies of Lexington is a partnership with Fayette County Public Schools that is changing the traditional didactic educational model by teaching subjects in the context of real-world applications and project based learning. Currently, 3 of the 6 FCPS high schools have adopted the Academies of Lexington model, with plans to expand to all high schools and middle schools. 

Advance Kentucky is a statewide math-science initiative dedicated to helping Kentucky’s students reach new heights in rigorous academic achievement. Begun in 2007, this is a partnership among Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC), Kentucky Department of Education and the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI).  Advance Kentucky has been a partner in demonstrating scale up strategies for student and teacher training and programming across the state. 

The KY-WV LSAMP program is a collaboration among ten diverse academic institutions and undergraduate research and diversity programs in each community, with UK as the lead institution. The NSF-funded program focuses on increasing the quality and quantity of students from underrepresented minorities graduating from college in STEM disciplines, using evidence-based techniques to provide students with the skills, knowledge, and professional network to succeed. KY-WV LSAMP has a strong record in increasing STEM enrollment (37%) and Bachelor’s degrees awarded (101%) of underrepresented minorities in the past 5 years. The START program will increase a pipeline of STEM students attending UK or other KY-WV LSAMP institutions. 

The mission of the Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence is to advance the University of Kentucky's commitment to three broad areas: Student Excellence, Teaching Excellence, and Program Excellence. The ultimate goal is for the University to be nationally recognized as a beacon of undergraduate excellence. The Chellgren Center contributes to that goal by raising aspirations of UK students; assisting students in realizing their highest academic potential; inspiring progressive reform and innovation in teaching, learning, and curriculum development; and fostering creative and productive collaborations across the many programs and departments engaged in the undergraduate mission.