What does community engagement look like? For NIU STEAM, engagement includes partnering with Meta to improve STEM education for local high school students – and build a STEM career pipeline of local talent.
A new partnership between Meta and Northern Illinois University engages local high school students from underrepresented groups in university programming that will develop their skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and provide college and career readiness.
Barb City STEAM Team students enjoy STEAM activity
“NIU is pleased to partner with Meta to ensure that students who have been historically underserved and overlooked will have exciting opportunities to build their skills and confidence by participating in STEM education and enrichment activities. Meta’s engagement and investment in the DeKalb community and its future leaders will help our hometown, region and state remain competitive for attracting new business and creating new jobs,” said NIU President Dr. Lisa C. Freeman.
The grant from Meta will help fund the Barb City STEAM Studio. The program, designed and implemented by NIU STEAM in the Division of Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development, will provide after-school programming two days each week and residential summer camps, all of which will take place on the NIU campus. This transformational programming for underserved students focuses on extending learning through mentorship, STEAM exploration and relationship-building with enriched STEAM career readiness and exploration.
For the full story of the Barb City STEAM Studio, check out this article in NIU Today!
