The Fifth Annual STEMNow Celebration
On July 21, New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña joined some 500 students, educators, and community leaders to celebrate STEMNow, a call to action that was launched at the Tandon School of Engineering 5 years ago.
In that time, STEMNow has educated more than 360 teachers and made a positive difference in the lives of more than 22,000 New York City public school students who have learned how Science, Technology, Engineering and Math can change the world.
STEMNow will host 120 K-12 teachers and nearly 750 middle and high school students in 19 different programs and 24 research laboratories this year alone.
STEMNow Luncheon 2017
The Speakers:
Carmen Fariña
Chancellor of the New York City Schools
“Those taking part in STEMNow are on the cutting edge of everything we want to see more of in New York City. The teachers here today are using their summer ‘vacations’ to help ensure that New York City’s 1.1 million students are prepared for the 21st century workforce, and they realize that with young people being introduced to STEM at ever earlier ages, they must always stay a step ahead.”
Katepalli Sreenivasan
Dean of NYU Tandon School of Engineering
“STEMNow is a part of our mission to educate the next generation of engineers and scientists who will take on the most pressing challenges facing our world and create technology that can be used for the benefit of society. It is also part of a firm pledge we made to the White House in 2014 to educate 500 teachers and positively impact 50,000 public school students throughout New York City in the coming decade, and we are well on our way to that goal.”
STEMNow Educators and Students:
Ben Esner
Director of Tandon’s Center for K12 STEM Education
“Through our National Science Foundation supported work with teachers over the years, we have made a positive difference in the lives of more than 22,000 New York City public school students. Looking ahead to the 2017-18 school year alone, the 50 educators studying engineering and technology with faculty and graduate students this summer will go on to teach over 4,500 middle and high school students. We intend to expand our teacher professional development offerings in partnership with Department of Education schools and administrators and hope to double those numbers next summer.”
Vikram Kapila
Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
“Seeing this room, crowded with excited faces, confirms to me that we are truly creating a new generation of STEM leaders, thinkers, and doers. From the public school teachers who will take the tools they gather here and share them with countless New York City students, to the young women who are preparing to ensure that the STEM workplace is a vibrant and diverse place, you are all doing your part.”
Magued Iskander
Chair of the Department of Civil and Urban Engineering
“At a time when women comprise only 24 percent of those in STEM careers, it is gratifying to see that a groundbreaking 60 percent of this year’s STEMNow students are female. We are proud of our efforts to encourage young women and others underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering and math fields, and we believe that we are sparking in them the confidence and interest to pursue highly challenging and important work.”
Ryan Hartman
Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
“If the STEMNow students working in my lab learn what scientific research is all about, how important it is, and the ways in which it can be used to benefit society, then they will have had a very successful and productive summer.”
Kalia Bain
M.A.C.A.D.E.M.Y School of Science and Technology Student
“I’m nine years old, and I’m taking part in the CrEST program, where we’re learning to work with 3D printing, Arduinos, and wireless technology. 3D printing is the best. I just might come to Tandon one day and become an engineer.”
