The astronauts and scientists of the future will gather to show-off their various projects at The Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA) annual awards ceremony at Wayne State University on Saturday, May17, 2003 from 9 a.m. to noon.

The ceremony will be held in room 100 of the General Lectures Hall at 5045Anthony Wayne Drive near Warren Avenue on Wayne State's main campus in Detroit. U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick will be the guest speakers.

The mission of Wayne State's SEMAA program is to stimulate interests and career focus in the areas of science, engineering, mathematics and technology, said SEMAA Program Director Marsha Cheeks. The curriculum is science-oriented, including aeronautics, engineering, mathematics and technology.

There are three eight-week sessions on Saturdays during the fall, winter and spring semesters for grades K-12. There are also four one-week sessions held during the summer for K-8 students. The students and teachers are recruited primarily from the Detroit Public Schools. All students in the Detroit area are encouraged to apply.

SEMAA students will showcase their projects from 9-10 a.m. on Saturday. During the ceremony, students and parents will receive awards from the SEMAA program from 11 a.m. to noon.

The Detroit SEMAA program began in 1997. It is a partnership with Wayne State University, the Detroit Public Schools and the NASA Glenn Research Center.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.