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STEM NOLA | STEM Global Action
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As SpaceX Brings the Future of Aerospace to Louisiana, STEM NOLA Has Been Preparing the Next Generation for More Than a Decade
New Orleans-based STEM organization has spent 13 years exposing students to rocketry, aerospace and the STEM careers of the future
NEW ORLEANS, LA — SpaceX’s announcement that it plans to build Starbase Louisiana, a massive new launch and aerospace facility in southern Louisiana, marks a transformative moment for the state’s future—and one that STEM NOLA has been preparing young people to participate in for more than a decade.
SpaceX announced plans last week for a 125,000-acre facility in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana that the company says will represent more than $100 billion in investment and create more than 3,000 jobs, with the first Starship launch from the Louisiana site targeted for 2029.
For STEM NOLA Founder and CEO Dr. Calvin Mackie, the announcement represents the realization of a future the organization has been preparing Louisiana’s young people to participate in since its founding in 2013.
“When we founded STEM NOLA in 2013, our goal was to expose, inspire and engage our community through hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” said Dr. Calvin Mackie, Founder and CEO of STEM NOLA. “We wanted our children prepared for the jobs and careers of the future—not the jobs and careers of yesterday. We knew aerospace was going to be part of that future. We didn’t
know SpaceX would bring it to Louisiana, but we knew that if our children were going to participate in the future, they first needed to be aware of it and have a pathway to develop the skills to be a part of it.”
That vision has been embedded in STEM NOLA’s programming for 13 years. Each year, STEM NOLA hosts its signature Rocket Day, giving students hands-on opportunities to build, test and launch rockets while learning from STEM professionals. The event has grown into the largest Rocket Day in urban America, with hundreds of students, families, volunteers and professionals participating each year. In 2025, STEM NOLA’s annual Rocket Day brought together more than 550 students, families and volunteers for rocket building, STEM exploration and hands-on learning with Boeing engineers supporting NASA.
But for STEM NOLA, rocketry has never been simply about launching rockets. It has been a way to help young people see themselves in the industries that will shape their future.
“Now, after 13 years, we have kids from New Orleans working for aerospace companies all across this country,” Mackie said. “What makes this moment so powerful is that some of those young people may now have the opportunity to come home and build their careers here. Instead of having to go all across the country to work for other aerospace companies, they can look at Louisiana and see the possibility of building the future right here at home.”
STEM NOLA’s approach to workforce preparation extends beyond aerospace. Since its founding, the organization has intentionally developed programming around the industries and challenges it believes will define the future including energy, environmental sustainability, infrastructure, healthcare and culture. Its hands-on programming has included solar and wind energy, power transmission, coastal restoration, flood protection, healthcare technology, food science and more.
That broader approach is particularly relevant as Louisiana’s aerospace industry expands. SpaceX’s planned facility is expected to encompass not only rocket launches, but also propellant production, power generation, deep-water shipping, vehicle processing and other infrastructure. The company has also outlined plans to restore portions of the Vermilion Parish shoreline.
“This is bigger than space,” Mackie said. “This is space and aerospace, but it’s also health, bioscience, engineering, infrastructure and research. Space is becoming the next frontier for innovation. There will be discoveries and industries that emerge from this that we cannot even predict today. Our children need to be prepared not only for the opportunities SpaceX will create directly, but also for the unintended innovations and opportunities that will come from having this kind of platform in Louisiana.”
For STEM NOLA, the opportunity now is to ensure that Louisiana’s young people are not simply witnesses to the state’s emerging aerospace economy, but active participants in it.
“Louisiana has an opportunity to do something extraordinary,” Mackie said. “We have to make sure our children are ready for it. The investments we make in STEM education today will determine whether our young people are prepared to design, build, operate and innovate in the industries that will define Louisiana’s tomorrow.”
About STEM NOLA:
Founded by Dr. Calvin Mackie, STEM NOLA is dedicated to exposing, engaging, and inspiring students in grades K-12 to the world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Through hands-on programs and immersive learning experiences, STEM NOLA provides opportunities for students to build the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue careers in STEM fields. STEM Global Action, the nationwide expansion of STEM NOLA, aims to bring these experiences to communities across the U.S. and help develop a diverse and skilled workforce for the future.