Delaware State University and Verizon announced a partnership to provide STEM education to minority middle school boys in central Delaware. The program begins this summer
The Verizon Innovative Learning Program, funded by a $400,000 grant from Verizon, will provide mentorship and hands-on classes in coding, robotics, 3D design and entrepreneurship to dozens of minority middle school boys over the next two years, a DSU and Verizon release stated.
DSU students and faculty with backgrounds in computer science and entrepreneurship will serve as mentors to guide students through the program, which will begin with a summer program on the DSU campus and continue during the school year at DSU and at William Henry Middle School and Central Middle School in Dover.
“While many focus on the idea that minority males are an ‘endangered species,’ DSU prefers to concentrate on what it can do to build up and guide young men to success,” said DSU President Harry L. Williams. “While we work year-round to produce success stories among our students on the university-level, through this program the university can also offer elementary school to high school-age youths opportunities to attend summer camps that stimulate their intellect, build self-esteem, teach them academic disciplines that can help them thirst for higher education opportunities and give them career options in their futures.”
The Verizon Innovative Learning Program began in 2015 at four leading Historically Black Colleges and Universities and is now available in 12 cities across the country.
Much attention has been paid to the importance of engaging girls in STEM but very few are talking about the promise technology skills hold for young, minority boys. Minority males are severely underrepresented in STEM fields and are less likely than Caucasian peers to graduate from high school on time and pursue college, the release stated.
New evaluation data collected from more than 300 young men shows that, after participating in the Verizon Innovative Learning Program, all students increased mobile technology proficiency, 75 percent of students reported an increased interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects, and 69 percent had an increased interest in STEM careers.
