Last Friday at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, I had the honor to take part in the opening of the newest Center of Innovation. It joins five Centers already in operation at Boys & Girls Clubs, including one overseas, and will provide youth with access to technologies to stimulate creative approaches to STEM, including robotics, 3D printing and a realistic flight simulator. A full-time STEM expert will work with children and teens to develop STEM skills and critical thinking.
Funded by a $5 million grant from Raytheon, 22 Centers are expected to be up and running by 2019, shining examples of best practices in out-of-school time STEM learning. Using state-of-the-art equipment, kids can take part in hands-on learning activities and experiments. Club areas are remade into warm, inviting spaces that inspire creativity. With the opening of this latest Center, Joint Base Andrews Youth Programs led by Vince Eure is sure to see continued success.
While many underrepresented youth aspire to academic and career success, there is a shortage of both interested and adequately prepared K-12 students in STEM subjects, especially among minority youth and young women. Research shows that after-school and summer learning advance STEM knowledge and interest in STEM-related careers. And that's significant. By 2018, the Commerce Department tells us, STEM-related jobs are expected to grow nearly twice as fast as those in any other field.
As the nation’s largest provider of out-of-school time programming, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has created and is implementing a cross-disciplinary approach that channels young people’s natural curiosity and empowers them to create new solutions to real-world challenges. Centers of Innovation are outstanding examples of what Clubs are capable of.
This partnership supports our STEM strategy, creating awareness and excitement among youth who might not otherwise have access and opportunities to thrive in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. BGCA is proud to partner with Raytheon to help kids acquire these important skills.
Funded by a $5 million grant from Raytheon, 22 Centers are expected to be up and running by 2019, shining examples of best practices in out-of-school time STEM learning. Using state-of-the-art equipment, kids can take part in hands-on learning activities and experiments. Club areas are remade into warm, inviting spaces that inspire creativity. With the opening of this latest Center, Joint Base Andrews Youth Programs led by Vince Eure is sure to see continued success.
While many underrepresented youth aspire to academic and career success, there is a shortage of both interested and adequately prepared K-12 students in STEM subjects, especially among minority youth and young women. Research shows that after-school and summer learning advance STEM knowledge and interest in STEM-related careers. And that's significant. By 2018, the Commerce Department tells us, STEM-related jobs are expected to grow nearly twice as fast as those in any other field.
As the nation’s largest provider of out-of-school time programming, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has created and is implementing a cross-disciplinary approach that channels young people’s natural curiosity and empowers them to create new solutions to real-world challenges. Centers of Innovation are outstanding examples of what Clubs are capable of.
This partnership supports our STEM strategy, creating awareness and excitement among youth who might not otherwise have access and opportunities to thrive in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. BGCA is proud to partner with Raytheon to help kids acquire these important skills.