Amid Queen’s annual recognition of Black Histories and Futures Month, the Black Youth in STEM initiative at Smith Engineering debuts a standalone website: www.blackyouthinstem.ca
The new website houses information relevant to participants and families of the Black Youth in STEM outreach programs. As well, it provides introductions to members of the outreach team, which features a number of Black students enrolled at Smith Engineering and young alumni. Most critically, it presents a portal for families to enrol their children in the ongoing youth outreach programs and explains in detail the steps necessary to do so.
Cressana Williams-Massey, a Jamaican-born research chemist and science educator, is Team Lead of the Black Youth in STEM initiative.
“I am so excited about the Black Youth in STEM website,” she says, “as it will help tremendously in our efforts to promote our programs. It will provide people who are curious about us with information on the work we do to increase the number of Black youth who are interested in pursuing STEM education at the secondary and post-secondary levels.”
“And it will increase the number of families and subsequently children that we are able to reach, to engage them in STEM education and mentorship.”
The website will be regularly updated with workshop schedules and other pertinent information pertaining to outreach programming. Registration can take place year-round, thanks to a full suite of outreach initiatives available based on the four seasons.
“Parents and guardians who enrol their children in our virtual programs can expect youth integration in STEM at the highest possible level,” says Williams-Massey, whose leadership of the Black Youth in STEM initiative earned the entire team national recognition earlier this month in the form of the 2023 Actua Experience Award at that organization’s national conference.
“They can expect one-on-one sessions with instructors who are trained in science and engineering who are not only teaching what is in the Ontario Science and Technology curriculum, but mentoring participants and providing them with real life applications of what they are learning about, which I think is truly great.”
This article is relevant to the following Strategic Actions as defined in the Strategic Plan:
