Why is OSS placing an emphasis on outreach to underserved and/or underutilized groups?
Profound changes in the composition of the population of the United States are now taking place. According to projections by the Bureau of the Census: • By 2030, the total elementary school age population of the United States will be equally divided between non-Hispanic whites and all other racial/ethnic groups combined. • From 2030 to 2050, Native Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, and African Americans will together far outnumber non-Hispanic whites in elementary schools, high schools, and new entrants into college and the workforce. • By 2050, non-Hispanic whites will decline to 53 percent of the total US population (all ages). Thus, meeting the future needs of a society based on science and technology will require the involvement of individuals from groups who, at the current time, are not as effectively utilized as they should be in science and technology. In addition, these underserved and/or underutilized groups are significantly more underrepresented in space scienc
