Communications of the ACM
STEM Initiative Introduces High-Tech Careers to Minority Students
Credit: MESA
Pennsylvania Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA), hosted by Temple University, offers technology courses and mentoring to low-income students to encourage them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The program, which focuses on African-American and Latino students who are underrepresented in STEM fields, has served about 3,500 middle school and high school students in Philadelphia over the past two and a half years.
MESA is showing impressive results, as the senior mobile-apps team won the $5,000 grand prize at the citywide 2013 AT&T Edutech Hackathon. Participants also earned four team medals and 18 individual awards at the 2013 MESA USA National Engineering Championships.
STEM education has become a national priority, with only 16 percent of U.S. high school seniors proficient in math and interested in STEM careers, according to the Department of Education. Among STEM majors in college, only about half pursue STEM employment. The Obama administration has invested $265 million in STEM education, aiming to produce an additional 1 million STEM graduates over the next decade.
Pennsylvania MESA is expanding to other locations, and will host the first Google in Education Pennsylvania Summit on March 1-2 at Temple University to promote student learning at the elementary through high school level.
From Philly.com
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