The following is a press release from the NC Society of Hispanic Professionals and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
The NC Society of Hispanic Professionals (NCSHP) is delighted to announce the receipt of a grant from Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) which will allow both organizations to have the opportunity to increase interest and have a positive impact in STEM career awareness and selection, among Hispanic youth in North Carolina. Through this collaboration, an effective outreach strategy will be implemented that will enhance BWF’s and NCSHP’s efforts of increasing diversity and inclusive representation of Hispanic students in STEM. This focused effort and collaboration will generate a pipeline of Hispanic students enrolled in STEM programs and on-track for future careers in STEM fields.
A number of culturally sensible strategies and activities, including the launching of the “Tu Portal STEM” portal at the NCSHP website will be implemented specifically focused on generating student interest and engagement with STEM education. As part of our efforts, we will provide information to these students and their parents on the available opportunities for students to participate in STEM oriented programs, including the sites funded by the BWF as part of their “Science Student Enrichment Program” every year, and any other available STEM in-school, afterschool, and summer programs, as well as we will provide support to navigate the NCSTEM Center website with information for Spanish-speaking parents. A STEM Spanish Hotline will also be launched as part of this project and hosted at NCSHP headquarters.
“For over 20 years, BWF has provided support for STEM enrichment through grant programming to non-profit organizations across the state. We have high hopes that this strategic diversity initiative will have an impact by increasing STEM programming exposure, engagement, and enrollment among Hispanic youth in NC.”
– Alfred Mays, BWF Program Officer
“The NCSHP is very grateful to BWF for awarding this important grant to our organization. This partnership will allow us to bring to the Hispanic students and their parents information and tools they need to think on STEM fields as future careers of their choice. Thinking out-of- the box regarding typical outreach efforts, our plan is to bring this information to Hispanic students and their parents wherever they are, including community festivals and fairs, educational conferences, and outreach events.”
– Marco Zárate, President and Co-founder of the NCSHP
