STEM/STEAM-FOCUSED ALLIANCE BRINGS TECH SKILLS TO UNDERREPRESENTED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ATLANTA
Sponsored by Coca-Cola, Industry Leaders Teach Coding Skills
St. Louis, Missouri (June 30, 2017) — In December 2016, INROADS, Inc. and STEMBoard formed an alliance to increase diversity in STEM/STEAM and offer innovative curriculum to provide underrepresented high school students in Atlanta with technology and coding skills. From June 26-28, this partnership reached a key milestone with the first-ever Hack UpStart workshop in Atlanta at the SLCA. This program gave INROADS College Links-Atlanta students hands-on experience with hardware and software.
Students also put their skills into practice. With the help of Dan Paige from Emory University’s Continuing Education; the STEMBoard team, including Director of Education Jarvis Sulcer, Ph.D. and Danielle Regis, M.S.; and others, students developed microcontrollers and other tech devices that can be used in everyday items. Microcontrollers are chip-sized computers that control multiple devices.
STEMBoard — a technology solutions company — works to close the achievement gap that allows underserved youth to create transformational technologies. This alliance gives diverse students in Atlanta skills to increase their opportunities in STEM/STEAM industries. With sponsorship from Coca-Cola, Hack UpStart exposed students to a series of workshops aimed at bridging the digital skills gap in underserved communities.
Other partners include Chick-fil-A, the ELC (Executive Leadership Council), Georgia Pacific, The Home Depot and ITSMF (Information Technology Senior Management Forum).
Aisha Bowe — an accomplished African-American aeronautical engineer, defense contractor and co-founder of STEMBoard — was the keynote speaker at Hack UpStart. “Our lessons create a foundation for the practical applications needed for success in STEM fields,” Bowe said. “We want to show students the software and hardware side of the functionality to ensure future success in their professions.”
“For nearly 50 years, INROADS, Inc. has been on a mission to prepare underserved students for corporate and community leadership. With College Links — our high school program — we begin the process of early exposure for students to gain digital skills that help bridge industry diversity and leadership gaps,” said Forest Harper, President and CEO, INROADS, Inc.
About STEMBoard
Founded by aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe and computer engineer John Martellaro, STEMBoard is a technology solutions company that creates smart systems and software solutions for government and large-scale private sector clients. For more information, visit www.stemboard.com.
About INROADS
Founded in 1970, INROADS develops and places talented underserved youth in business and industry, preparing them for corporate and community leadership that affects community renewal and social change and elevates economic status and quality of life. INROADS has placed students in over 135,000 paid internships throughout its history, and graduated over 28,000 alumni into full-time professional and leadership positions with over 1,000 corporate partners. Currently, INROADS serves nearly 1,300 interns and 200 corporate clients. To learn more, visit INROADS.org.
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