Compton making strides with more STEM education

During this economic crisis and the lack of a job market for the unemployed, educators are encouraging the next crop of adults and college students to look into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) programs and careers. These fields of study offer some of the highest-paying jobs in the US. Workers in these fields earn over $100,000 a year, compared to the national wage average of $46,000. The US is the leader in research and development but faces a critical shortage in its homegrown workforce. Roughly 43% of STEM workers in the US are from abroad.
“STEM careers are expected to grow at twice the rate of all other careers over the next decade.” Dr. Louis Freedberg, interim CEO of EdSource, said as he spoke about the future of the STEM industry. “We must ensure that our students, especially Black and Latino, have full access and resources to these studies and careers.” Currently, Black people make up 18 percent of STEM workers, Latinos make up 20 percent, and women as a whole make up another 18 percent, according to the National Science Foundation data.
“The earlier, the better it is,” Freedbertg said in reference to the shortage of workers in minority communities which can benefit by having youth enrolled in STEM programs. Freedberg states that while people are worried about the lack of college students in these programs, educators should worry about the lack of students in high school or middle school. “Why do these kids from low-income communities not have access or resources surrounding the STEM programs near them? People are concerned about college programs not attracting enough students, but this issue begins well before they reach senior or even junior year in high school.”
The Compton Unified School District (CUSD) introduced the STEM program to classrooms 10 years ago, while the Los Angeles Unified School District introduced STEM to classes seven years ago. “We joined the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools to eliminate the problem of Black and Latino students not having the same access and resources to STEM programs as their wealthier counterparts,” said Dr. Darin Barwley, the superintendent of CUSD. “STEM programs are now being taught in 150 schools across Southern California.
Brawley states that their STEM programs start in preschool with coding, Lego robotics, video game design, engineering, and expansive science programs, and they are also supported by Verizon with the grants they provide to students while funding their newly built learning labs. They have a partnership with IBM that exposes the students to a different career path in technology with their skill-building program, which lets students earn certificates at the end of the course.
“Our vision is to guide students to being able to participate in the development of the global economy, whether that’s joining the workforce local or across state lines or furthering their education in colleges or universities,” Brawley said as he spoke about how he wants to impact the students and cultivate their future. “The zip code will not be a deterrent from the students experiencing everything we have to offer.”