LEM at JHU
STEAM LEADS Program
Overview
This program was created as part of the 2018 Diversity Innovation Grants Challenge: Bridging Idea Divides. The program consists of a series of weekly workshops, including interactive neuroscience and physics experiments, personal statement workshops, SAT/ACT test-taking tips and timelines, career paths, guest speakers, and more.
Summary
The STEM-LEADS program’s goal is to encourage Patterson High School students to pursue higher education, with a focus on STEM careers. Students are introduced to neuroscience and physical science concepts during a weekly lunch program and guided through the college application process. LEM members are given the opportunity to run these weekly seminars throughout the school year.
Why STEM LEADS?
Patterson High School is a highly diverse school with over 32 languages spoken by its student body and the highest Latino population (making up 38% of the student body) in Baltimore. The graduation rate is only 67%, with a dropout rate of 24% and a low number of students, only 17%, taking the SAT or ACT. This prevents most from even considering applying to college. As it stands now, many of these students have limited exposure to STEM and many of whom could never envision themselves going to college. By going to Patterson High and engaging these students in interesting physics and neuroscience demonstrations and lectures, we hope they will become more actively engaged in their academic career. With the STEM LEADS program, we hope to make a change in these students’ lives and inspire them not only to apply to college but also foster an interest in STEM. By seeing students of color in their school from a prestigious university that are passionate about these subjects, it is our goal that the students realize that going to college and working in STEM is a feasible possibility.
Interested in getting involved?
Contact hopkins.lem@gmail.com to learn more about the program or to voice your interest in volunteering.
