Talent Should STEM from Every Neighborhood

TalentShouldSTEMfro mEveryNeighborhood:Ne wYorkCityAlumniAnswer theCall SubmittedbyGuestBloggeronFri,2012-05-2505:28 Share TalentShouldSTEMfro mEveryNeighborhood:Ne wYorkCityAlumniAnswer theCall Onoccasion,CTEqwelc omesguestblogsaboutk eyissuesorengagingide asthatm aybeofinteresttoo uraudience.LoritaD.W atson,aBrooklynTechnicalalumna e,isthefounderofEmpowermentviaEducationandTechnology. TheNewYorkCitypubl ichighschoolsystemis 70%African-Americansa ndLatino s,yettheyrepresent lessthan15%ofthepopulationinthecityâ scompetitivespec ializedhighschools. Andmanystudentsareno timmediatelyreadyfort hechalle ngeoftheSpecialized HighSchoolsAdmissions Test(SHSAT),whichhas beenine xistencebylawsince 1972andistheonlyobj ectivemeansofentering thesepre stigiousschools.Each year,morethan25,000 studentstakethetestin hopesof gainingoneofthe5,000openseats. Yetthetidemaybetu rning,thanksinlargep arttoconcernedalumni. Afterdec adesofcontinuousdec line,Stuyvesant,Bronx Science,andBrooklynTec hnicalâ known astheBig3â aswellasthefivenew erschools,noteda14% risein2012ofAfrican- AmericanandLatinostudents. AsgraduatesofStuyve sant,BronxScience,and BrooklynTechnicalhigh schools, theBlackBrownBig3 alumniknowwhatisrequiredtosucceedinarigo rousprog ram.Mostofuscame fromneighborhoodschool saroundthecitythaton cecreate dapipelineforthespecializedschoolsbyofferingSpecialPrograms(SP)fort alentedandgiftedstu dents.Incontrast,tod ayonlyahandfulofneig hborhood schoolsaredeemedGiftedandTalented,suchasMarkTwainMiddleSchool,which continuestobeapipelineforspecializedhighschools. Alumnisteppeduptotheplateinseveralways: BlackStuyvesantA lumnioffertestprepara tionandmentoring.They havean ongoingprogramcalled WhyStuy?Studentstou randmeetwithcurrentstudents, facultyandalumni.L astsummertheyreached outto800students,incl udingabo ut300whoattendedtheSeptemberOpenHouseand120whoparticipatedinSHSATb ootcamp. TheScienceSchool sInitiative,aprogram withoutstandingresults, provides lowcostSHSATpreparation. BlackBrownBig3 focusesonbringingtogetherover800alumnivia socialne tworkingdisseminating information,including policy,scholarships,pro gramsand NYCDepartmentofEdu cationhappenings(lettertoAssemblymanCamera). Inadditiontoacademi csupport,alumnioffer mentoring,asmanyAfrica nAmerica nandLatinostudentsdonâ tfeelasthoughtheyfitin.Realizingpartofthechall engewashavingqualif iedstudentstakethete st,localalumnididoutr eachate achNYDOEhighschool informationsessionsin allboroughs,speakingt oparents andstudentsaboutthebenefitsofattendingtheseschools. Thosebenefitsareeno rmous.Forexample,many graduatesofBrooklynTe chnical, thelargestSTEMhigh schoolincountry,goon toprestigiouscolleges andunive rsitiesandpursuenot eworthyandlucrativeST EMcareers.Thesespecia lizedhig hschoolsarethegatewaytotheworld. FormoreinsightonNYCâ sspecializedhighschools,watchtheInsideSchoolssegment .

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Transcript of Talent Should STEM from Every Neighborhood

Page 1: Talent Should STEM from Every Neighborhood

TalentShouldSTEMfromEveryNeighborhood:NewYorkCityAlumniAnswertheCallSubmittedbyGuestBloggeronFri,2012-05-2505:28ShareTalentShouldSTEMfromEveryNeighborhood:NewYorkCityAlumniAnswertheCall

Onoccasion,CTEqwelcomesguestblogsaboutkeyissuesorengagingideasthatmaybeofinteresttoouraudience.LoritaD.Watson,aBrooklynTechnicalalumnae,isthefounderofEmpowermentviaEducationandTechnology.

TheNewYorkCitypublichighschoolsystemis70%African-AmericansandLatinos,yettheyrepresentlessthan15%ofthepopulationinthecityâscompetitivespecializedhighschools.AndmanystudentsarenotimmediatelyreadyforthechallengeoftheSpecializedHighSchoolsAdmissionsTest(SHSAT),whichhasbeeninexistencebylawsince1972andistheonlyobjectivemeansofenteringtheseprestigiousschools.Eachyear,morethan25,000studentstakethetestinhopesofgainingoneofthe5,000openseats.

Yetthetidemaybeturning,thanksinlargeparttoconcernedalumni.Afterdecadesofcontinuousdecline,Stuyvesant,BronxScience,andBrooklynTechnicalâknownastheBig3âaswellasthefivenewerschools,noteda14%risein2012ofAfrican-AmericanandLatinostudents.

AsgraduatesofStuyvesant,BronxScience,andBrooklynTechnicalhighschools,theBlackBrownBig3alumniknowwhatisrequiredtosucceedinarigorousprogram.MostofuscamefromneighborhoodschoolsaroundthecitythatoncecreatedapipelineforthespecializedschoolsbyofferingSpecialPrograms(SP)fortalentedandgiftedstudents.Incontrast,todayonlyahandfulofneighborhoodschoolsaredeemedGiftedandTalented,suchasMarkTwainMiddleSchool,whichcontinuestobeapipelineforspecializedhighschools.

Alumnisteppeduptotheplateinseveralways:

BlackStuyvesantAlumnioffertestpreparationandmentoring.TheyhaveanongoingprogramcalledWhyStuy?Studentstourandmeetwithcurrentstudents,facultyandalumni.Lastsummertheyreachedoutto800students,includingabout300whoattendedtheSeptemberOpenHouseand120whoparticipatedinSHSATbootcamp.TheScienceSchoolsInitiative,aprogramwithoutstandingresults,provideslowcostSHSATpreparation.BlackBrownBig3focusesonbringingtogetherover800alumniviasocialnetworkingdisseminatinginformation,includingpolicy,scholarships,programsandNYCDepartmentofEducationhappenings(lettertoAssemblymanCamera).

Inadditiontoacademicsupport,alumnioffermentoring,asmanyAfricanAmericanandLatinostudentsdonâtfeelasthoughtheyfitin.Realizingpartofthechallengewashavingqualifiedstudentstakethetest,localalumnididoutreachateachNYDOEhighschoolinformationsessionsinallboroughs,speakingtoparentsandstudentsaboutthebenefitsofattendingtheseschools.

Thosebenefitsareenormous.Forexample,manygraduatesofBrooklynTechnical,thelargestSTEMhighschoolincountry,goontoprestigiouscollegesanduniversitiesandpursuenoteworthyandlucrativeSTEMcareers.Thesespecializedhighschoolsarethegatewaytotheworld.

FormoreinsightonNYCâsspecializedhighschools,watchtheInsideSchoolssegment.