Chicago Pre-College Science and Engineering Program

Intensive science, technology and engineering instruction is generally reserved for students in middle grades and higher. But this year, some Chicago Public Schools' 1st-graders are getting a taste of these disciplines through in an innovative program that designers hope will set the stage for the city’s children to be globally competitive.

The program is the brainchild of Kenneth Hill, who created a program in Detroit that starts with kindergartners and goes through students’ senior year in high school.

Last fall, 65 1st-graders and their parents became the first to participate in the Chicago Pre-College Science and Engineering program. For four weeks, students from seven schools in low-income neighborhoods spent three hours on Saturdays studying chemistry at the Museum of Science and Industry.

Read the rest of the Catalyst Notebook article here.

Is Urban Prep Academy for Young Men the Future for Black Males?

Soulclap to Dr. Boyce Watkins for pointing us to a public, all-male, all–African American high school in the city of Chicago called Urban Prep Academy for Young Men. Research shows that only 1 in 40 African American males graduate college. These statistics are being turned on their head by Urban Prep Academy as they were able to get all of their 107 seniors accepted in to 72 different colleges across the country.

Evan Lewis, the school's Vice President for Institutional Advancement, argues that getting the students in to college is not the only goal, but that getting them through college is what matters.

"We are not just committed to getting our students through high school, we are committed to getting them through college. We are going to be a constant presence in their lives and give them the support that a lot of folks don't have when they go to college."

The school has a very strict dress code, consisting of black blazers, khaki pants and a red tie. The red tie is swapped out for a gold one once the student is accepted in to college. When one student, Rayvaughn Hines, was asked which college he was accepted to, he said, "Do you want me to name them all?"

Hines, a student who once thought college wasn't made for him, has chosen to become a Morehouse man. He cherished the moment when he switched out his red tie for a gold one.

"I wanted to take my time, because I was just so proud of myself," he said. "I wanted everyone to see me put it on."

Urban Prep has a unique set of hurdles. It is in a troubled part of the city, and only 4 percent of the incoming freshmen could read at grade level. With hard work and persistence, the students who could not read at grade level four years ago are now on their way to college.

"I never had a doubt that we would achieve this goal," said Tim King, the school's founder and CEO. "Every single person we hired knew from the day one that this is what we do: We get our kids in to college."

From the day the students enter high school, they are prepared for the next step. They have a college counselor from day one, and their first field trip is a visit to Northwestern University. Their school day is longer than that of students who attend other schools. The school's voice mail has a student saying, "I am college bound," before the caller is able to dial an extension.

Urban Prep is a charter school that should be emulated in all school districts with large Black male populations. Urban Prep Academy reminds us that when adults create an environment conducive for success, the children in that environment will always rise to the occasion.

I encourage all BDPAers to share this story with their children, nephews, neices and young 'uns in the neighborhood. Urban Prep Academy is breaking mental barriers and prescribed capabilities with each graduate they usher in to this big, bold world.

Study Says Lack of African Americans in Science Field Hurting Industry

by J. Coyden Palmer

A study that surveyed Fortune 1000 STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) executives representing leading science and technology companies in the United States, was released last week by Bayer Corporation.

The survey found that women, African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields and that the result could hurt the nation as a whole. The findings of the study should alarm whoever is going to be the next president of the United States the report stated. Minorities are seen as perhaps the saving grace for the country if America is going to keep its place as the leader in the STEM industry, the report noted.

“What is most dramatic about this survey is the extent to which the Fortune executives speak with one unequivocal voice on these issues,” said Dr. Attila Molnar, President and CEO of Bayer Corporation. “Almost without exception, they overwhelmingly recognize this country’s great need to tap the potential of the entire STEM talent pool, and the importance of doing so at every point on the development continuum beginning in elementary school with high-quality, hands-on, inquiry-based science education, on through college where STEM talent is refined and recruited, and then into the workplace where it must be further nurtured and encouraged.”

Molnar and other executives believe that African Americans are being exposed to science at an early enough age to pique student’s interests. Chicago native Dr. Mae Jemison, who is also the first African American woman to travel into outer space, agrees and said more has to be done to find talent in the Black community.

The report further stated that diversifying the STEM talent pool is one solution to the problem of understaffing. Nearly 55 percent of the Fortune executives say their companies are experiencing a shortage of STEM talent. Almost nine in 10, 89 percent, agree that bringing more women and minorities into STEM fields will help solve this issue. Moreover, diversity has other benefits for STEM companies, according to the executives, including increasing innovation and the ability to be more competitive in the global marketplace.
“Part of what makes America great is that we have people from every culture and race on earth as our citizens,” Jemison. “We need to do a better job of using this to our advantage. We must build a robust STEM pipeline that includes everyone and equally values their ideas, creativity and potential.”

Those surveyed also said how science is being taught in grammar school must change. They said the best way to teach science is through a hands-on approach, not with textbooks and perhaps, only the teacher conducting an experiment at the front of the class.

There have been studies conducted throughout the years that have attempted to justify why women are not as good as men when it comes to math and science. Dr. Jemison said all of those studies were done basically to try to keep women in “their place” and that studies in the past were used to justify why African Americans could not do certain jobs. She said female mentors and people of color in top management positions at companies show potential employees if a company is serious or not about their contribution.

“The proof is in the pudding so to speak,” she said. “For younger employees, seeing people who look like you achieving at the highest levels in your chosen field is a strong signal that a company is serious about diversity. Being actively mentored takes that seriousness of purpose one step further and shows younger employees the company is committed to developing their talent and ensuring their success. It’s leading from the front.”

Recently the Chicago Public Schools has tried to address the problem by creating schools that focus specifically on math and science. Several schools are devoted to these disciplines on both the elementary and high school level. One of those is Lindblom Math & Science Academy located at 6130 S. Wolcott. Lindblom also became the first high school in the city to go to a year round schedule starting this school year. Principal Alan Mather said his students get a bit more instruction in the math and science disciplines, but he agrees with others that it is something that needs to start at the elementary level.

“I think the earlier you can get kids excited about education, the better off we will be in general,” said Mather during an interview with Crusader in 2005 when Lindblom reopened after a $38 million overhaul. “Math and science can be difficult subjects so the more exposure our students have to it, the less intimidating it can be.”