What is AFCEA?
AFCEA - formerly known as the "Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association" - is a member-based, non-profit 501(c)6. Founded in 1946 following WWII, AFCEA International encourages innovation and advances technology by providing a discussion forum between Government and Industry. AFCEA International supports the defense, homeland security, intelligence, federal civilian, and public health communities with an open exchange of ideas for advancements in IT, communications, and electronics. AFCEA boasts more than 32,000 individual and corporate members across 138 chapters worldwide.
What does the AFCEA Aberdeen Chapter do?
The Aberdeen chapter of AFCEA services Aberdeen Proving Ground and Harford and Cecil Counties. Our network of 450+ members reaches into souther Delaware and the New Jersey Monmouth community and includes representations from industry, academia, the DoD, and Federal and Local Government. Our focus in the Aberdeen chapter is the U.S. Army, based on our proximity to APG.
But what sets us apart from other local organizations?
Here at AFCEA Aberdeen, our focus is on education - nurturing the next generation of leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to support the Warfighter. To do this, we established the AFCEA Aberdeen Education Fund, a 501(c)3 to benefit the local academic community. All proceeds and sponsorship dollars above and beyond our operating costs for events benefit this Education Fund, providing scholarships and grants to students and educators in STEM. Over the past 12 years, the Education Fund has provided more than $630,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors and college students from Harford and Cecil Counties, as well as STEM education grants to help teachers purchase the necessary equipment and tools for their classrooms. We have established scholarships in both Cybersecurity and Bioproduction at Harford Community College (HCC), and we also provide extensive financial support to community-based STEM initiatives.
