Pierce College Awarded NASA Grant to Host MESA Robotics Competition

Pierce College Awarded NASA Grant to Host MESA Robotics Competition

Pierce College is proud to announce its participation in a collaborative NASA-funded project aimed at expanding STEM opportunities for community college students. In partnership with Los Angeles Mission College and Los Angeles Valley College, Pierce will help lead a new MESA-led robotics competition supported by a NASA Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Planning Prize.

The $50,000 prize was awarded through NASA’s Open Innovation platform HeroX and supports the development of a NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) Robotics Competition that will bring together students from across the San Fernando Valley. The program targets MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement) students pursuing STEM degrees and aims to make competitive robotics and NASA career pathways more accessible.

Pierce College will host the multi-day event in June 2026, offering students the chance to work in teams to solve engineering challenges using LEGO robotics kits. Students will benefit from:

• Daily mentorship from STEM faculty and professionals

• Industry talks from leaders at institutions like JPL, USC, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman

• A field trip to the California Science Center and USC Viterbi School of Engineering

With over 400 MESA students across the three campuses, the event is expected to draw diverse, high-achieving participants, many of whom will be first-generation college students. Pierce already possesses the robotics kits needed for the event thanks to a prior NASA MUREP grant, ensuring that resources are in place for a hands-on, high-impact experience.

This initiative builds on Pierce College’s commitment to student access, STEM success, and regional partnership, strengthens long-standing connections to the aerospace industry and furthers the Pierce mission to empower students with real-world experiences that launch careers.