This summer the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle will be bringing back Summer University, thanks to new funding from Google. The program enhances the Urban League’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) curriculum and supports high school students with additional barriers to graduation.
As a unique summer program, Summer University helps address the achievement gap for African American students. According to Seattle Public Schools, in 2011, only 58 percent of African Americans graduated from high school, and 25 percent drop out annually. Summer University helps address a critical time for the high school age group, since these students are often too young to work summer jobs, and too old for traditional summer camp, making Summer University a valuable complement to school-year STEAM programs.
“We truly believe that the way to create equity for our kids is to provide them with the same opportunities as their counterparts that have easier access to influences in science, technology, engineering, art, and math,” said Pamela Banks, President and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle. “Therefore, we are excited to partner with Google, Seattle Central College, the City of Seattle, the Breakfast Group and other partners and volunteers to bring the excitement and access directly to our kids of color this summer.”
Summer University will enroll 50 opportunity high school students, immersing them in various art and science disciplines with hands-on activities and guest speakers to give them an idea of the variety of college degrees and career opportunities available in STEAM fields. The program will expose primarily first-generation college students to higher education. The six-week program will take place at Seattle Central Community College starting in June.
The students will go on tours of local companies and colleges and receive high school credit and a stipend for their completion of the six week program. The Google grant will go towards purchasing laptops for the summer program to use in project-based learning. The laptops will then be repurposed for an employment program during the school year.
Students participating in the program will primarily come from The Breakfast Group’s Project MISTER (Male Involvement and Service to Encourage Responsibility). The Breakfast Group works to increase the number of young men of color returning to or remaining in school in Rainier Beach, South Lake Alternative, Cleveland, Franklin and Garfield. The program pairs students with adult mentors who provide guidance and opportunities for success in the community.
Project MISTER recently held their “Tie One On” event, which serves as a rite of passage for approximately 75 young men who have successfully completed the program. Each student is paired with a mentor and taught how to tie a tie. Summer University will help keep students in Project MISTER programs involved and engaged over the summer.
“We are proud to support the important work that the Urban League does in Seattle, particularly for underrepresented high school students,” said Darcy Nothnagle, head of external affairs for Google Northwest. “We believe in the importance of giving back to the communities where we live and work, especially to help expand access to STEM education.”
The grant funding for the Summer University program is part of Google’s push to increase STEM education for students throughout Washington. Since 2011, Google has awarded more than $14.4 million to nonprofits and schools in Washington State. Last week, Project MISTER students also had the chance to tour Google and learn about career opportunities.
