Press Release – MVA and Drake State Community & Technical College sign an MoU

Vienna, Austria – (April 26, 2021) –

On Wednesday, April 21, 2021 leaders of the Moon Village Association (MVA) and the Drake State Community & Technical College (Drake State) finalized an important Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to further their shared goals concerning science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education to further the goals of exploration, development and eventual settlement of Earth’s Moon and cis-Lunar space.

In an online ceremony, Mr. John C. Mankins, Vice President of the MVA and co-Chair of the MVA Architectural Concepts and Concerns Working Group signed for the MVA, and Dr. Patricia Sims, President of Drake State signed for the college.   

The purpose of the MoU is to provide a framework for collaboration and cooperation between Drake State and the MVA. This partnership includes a list of activities that may be carried out cooperatively; including as a first specific topic for collaboration, described below.

Each Party agrees to develop during 2021 in academic areas of mutual interest and on a basis of equality and reciprocity: a ‘Moon Village Seminar.’ Which will served as a prototype for future MVA STEM Activities.

Mr. Mankins, Vice President of the MVA observed ““The Moon Village Association welcomes the opportunity to work with Drake State in realizing our shared goal of educating the next generation of technicians, engineers, scientists and mathematicians so that they can participate in humanity’s ongoing exploration, development and – someday – settlement of Earth’s Moon.”

“Creating the Frontiers Research Program has opened many new doors for our students,” said Dr. Patricia Sims, Drake State President. “We’re particularly excited that the partnership with the Moon Village Association will result in several new STEM learning opportunities for our students and local high school students.”

Glafki Antoniou                                                             
Management Support and Public Relations
Email: yc.gr1731899916o.oes1731899916c@osa1731899916-avm1731899916  

About Drake State Community & Technical College

Drake State Community & Technical College offers flexible, affordable university-transfer and technical degrees, certificates, adult and continuing education, and customized skills training to fulfill the diverse workforce need of employers. In September 2020, Drake State became the first and only historically Black community college to receive a cooperative agreement through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement and Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP). The NASA cooperative agreement was the catalyst for the creation of Drake State’s Frontiers Research Program (see: https://www.drakestate.edu/academic-programs/frontiers-research-program).

About the Moon Village Association 

The Moon Village Association (MVA) is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Vienna, founded in 2017. Its goal is the creation of a permanent global informal forum for stakeholders like governments, industry, academia and the general public interested in the development of the Moon Village. The MVA is the assembling of all efforts from private industry, governments and others aimed to explore and use the Moon in a sustainable manner. The MVA fosters cooperation for existing or planned Moon exploration programs, be they public or private initiatives. It comprises approximately more than 200 individual and 28 institutional members from more than 50 countries, representing a diverse array of technical, scientific, cultural and interdisciplinary fields. The MVA partners with non-space organizations to promote international discussions and formulation of plans to foster the development of the Moon Village, and is creating international, national and regional networks to engage civil society around the world. The Moon Village Association’s mission is unique, bridging together both spacefaring and non-spacefaring nations offering them the opportunity to play a role in its realization. There is no other organization on the international scene having such a mission.

For more information, visit the website at: www.moonvillageassociation.org .