How a North Philadelphia school is getting more students of color into STEM
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A North Philadelphia school is planting the seeds to make the next generation of scientists and engineers more diverse.
An initiative at Allen M. Stearne School is well underway to get students more involved in STEAM education, which stands for science, technology, engineering, art and math.
The school recently welcomed Grand Hank, a well-known scientist and educator, to provide a live science demonstration for students.
Hank and the district are partnering to expose more students to STEAM careers while also highlighting the historical roles African Americans have played in the field.
"So kids can understand who came before them," Hank said, and how they have paved the way for people like him to become well-respected scientists.
Now, Hank is hoping to inspire the next generation, "so that kids can see that they are in it. It's people like me that are doing it," he said.
Hank and the district are trying to close the diversity gaps in STEAM. A 2021 Pew Research Center report found Black workers made up only 9% of the STEM workforce. Black students earned 7% of bachelor's degrees in STEM during the 2017-2018 academic year.
"We want to make sure as a school district we create those pathways for our students," Nyshawana Francis-Thompson, who is the chief of curriculum for the Philadelphia school district, said.
Francis-Thompson said those numbers are why the school is creating a STEAM lab, which is expected to be finished in the next couple of months.
READ MORE: Philadelphia educators discuss importance of inclusivity ahead of annual CBED conference
It's important to give students access to skills that can set them up for the future, she said.
"We want to continue to create the next generation of Black scientists, so exposing our young people to Black history, particularly focused on scientists, also allows them to see themselves and a vision of where they can possibly be," Francis-Thompson said.
Eighth-grader Khasir Phillips, who wants to an be engineer, said seeing Hank gives him the courage to continue to pursue a career in STEAM.
He said that while he learned a lesson about science this week, he also got a lesson about life.
"What [Hank] is doing is pushing us as Black people and different races of people to become whatever we want, and he is giving us hope while doing it," Phillips said.
Later this month, Hank will be teaching students from across the city and the suburbs about STEAM education. Learn more at GrandHank.com.