STEM educationNYU School of Engineering “Summer of STEM” launched

Published 14 July 2015

The third annual Summer of STEM is emerging as the most ambitious by far for the New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering: Reaching some 1,100 K-12 students and teachers as well as college instructors, it is offering the skills and excitement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics through twenty different programs.

The third annual Summer of STEM is emerging as the most ambitious by far for the New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering: Reaching some 1,100 K-12 students and teachers as well as college instructors, it is offering the skills and excitement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics through twenty different programs.

On Thursday morning, 9 July 2015, hundreds of participants and community leaders marked the start of the Summer of STEM in a ceremony keynoted by NYU School of Engineering president and dean Katepalli R. Sreenivasan, New York City Department of Education Schools chancellor Carmen Fariña, and Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education Susan Singer.

“This year’s Summer of STEM reflects an important change in focus in the School of Engineering’s longstanding leadership in providing access to high-quality STEM education to students — particularly those from diverse and economically challenged communities,” Sreenivasan said.

“While we will continue to offer engaging and effective programs for K-12 students that will encourage them to pursue STEM subjects in college, we are greatly expanding our outreach to teachers because we know that each and every one of them has the potential to inspire and educate hundreds of young people during the course of a career. With their help, we will prepare a new generation of students capable of meeting the vast technical challenges of New York and society as a whole.”

NYU notes that the NYU School of Engineering’s Center for K12 STEM Education already runs one of New York City’s most in-depth teacher professional development program, and its Summer of STEM is the largest free summertime technology and engineering program for K-12 students in the city.

This year’s programs will reach three times the number of students and teachers as in 2014. There will be more to come: During the Summer of STEM celebration last Thursday, Sreenivasan announced a major expansion — made possible by a seed gift from philanthropists and venture capitalists Joanne and Fred Wilson and a grant from the NSF — which will help fulfill the school’s pledge to the White House to help America lead the world in college attainment.

Responding to the nationwide need to engage young women early in order to bring equity to STEM fields, over half of the students who attend summer camps at the NYU School of Engineering are female.