Students and teachers in the Dothan City Schools system are about to have access to an educational opportunity of a lifetime.

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is partnering with Troy University-Dothan to bring aerospace and technology training to the area.

It’s all part of a $60,000 dollar grant.

Academic professional across the Wiregrass are coming together to address a pending concern.

Director of the Wiregrass Math and Science Consortium Sandy Armstrong said, "One of the problems with engineers is that within the next few years, 90 percent of the engineers in the world will be from Asia. Half of the engineers in America will be retiring, so it is very important we get new engineers."

Now, NASA and Troy University-Dothan are promoting a program to change these numbers.

Armstrong said, "We'll be having camps next summer. Students will be doing technology and engineering camps, hopefully to get them interested in science, technology and engineering."

Will Robertson represents the Marshall Space Flight Center. He said, "NASA has a vested interest in education because we know students today will be pursuing careers. Hopefully, some will pursue a career in science and engineering.

The program will benefit students’ grades 6 through 10 in the Dothan City Schools system.

Dothan City Schools Superintendent Sam Nichols said, "This is an area we've got to spend a great deal of energy on in the future if we are going to keep as a community and nation."

The program will also help bridge the learning gap during the summer months when many students forget what they've learned throughout the year.

Rising 7th graders participating in the summer program will have the opportunity to make their own computers, which they will take home at the end of the program.