DAPCEP Receives $125,000 in Funding from General Motors to Support STEM Programs for Area Students
Grant funds will support an array of DAPCEP core programs and increase Science, Technology, Engineering and Math exposure among Pre-K to 12th graders in Detroit
DETROIT, Dec. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP), an educational nonprofit maximizing underrepresented youth's potential for success in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), is the recipient of a $125,000 grant from General Motors.
This funding will enhance DAPCEP's flagship Saturday Series curriculum, improve virtual program delivery, and increase STEM exposure to hundreds of underrepresented elementary, middle, and high school students. DAPCEP will engage students throughout Southeastern Michigan in pop-up workshops that take place both on-site at schools and virtually, more than 20 different Saturday Series courses, and engage GM volunteers who will help lead STEM summer camps and workshops.
"General Motors is proud to support DAPCEP as they work to make STEM education more accessible to students in Detroit," said Terry Rhadigan, vice president of Corporate Giving at GM. "We know that too few students are pursuing careers in STEM and the diversity of candidates is severely lacking. Through our longstanding relationship with DAPCEP, we are eager to improve upon these issues and support the team as they encourage the youth of Detroit to pursue a STEM education."
This grant was awarded to DAPCEP as a part of GM's $50 million investment in Detroit nonprofit programs, which aims to expand access to education and employment opportunities and strengthen city neighborhoods. GM's support of DAPCEP's innovators and its previous support activities help promote sustainable solutions that help Detroiters learn, work and thrive.
"We are thrilled to receive this grant funding from General Motors. GM was one of DAPCEP's first supporters. DAPCEP is so grateful for GM's more than 40 years of engagement – which has significantly contributed to the impact we've had in the Detroit community," said Michelle L. Reaves, DAPCEP executive director.
STEM exposure is critically important as Black students earned only seven percent of STEM bachelor's degrees in 2018 (Pew Research). Total Black undergraduate enrollment at colleges and universities post-pandemic is down by seven+ percent. And yet, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects STEM jobs to grow twice as fast in the next 10 years.
Since its beginnings in 1976, DAPCEP provides year-round STEM programming to nearly 11,000 pre-Kindergarten through 12th graders each year. With a 50:50 female-male ratio and a near 100 percent graduation rate, DAPCEP collaborates with 40+ schools and universities, corporations, community organizations, and public entities. The educational nonprofit has amassed more than 70,000 alumni, 68 percent of whom have entered STEM careers and credit DAPCEP for their STEM success.
For more than 40 years, GM and DAPCEP have maintained a rich history of engagement. Hundreds of DAPCEP alumni have worked at GM. GM engineers hosted an "Electrical Connections" workshop where 6th-8th graders investigated electromagnetism by constructing a model electric motor and learned how GM applies this science to its electric vehicle production. Two DAPCEP Board of Directors hail from GM – Treasurer Albert Ware and board member Jay Prestage. GM executives held sessions with DAPCEP students attending the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) conference in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Dozens of GM employees have volunteered at DAPCEP's STEM Day – an annual event where some 2,000 local students participate in a STEM field trip. DAPCEP's Michelle Reaves received General Motors African Ancestry Network (GMAAN)'s Excellence in STEAM Award in February 2021.
Reaves added, "Research shows that only nine percent of Black people in the U.S. hold STEM jobs. Post pandemic, we know communities of color will need more scientists, engineers and researchers who look like them and support them."
Parents and students interested in learning more about DAPCEP should visit http://www.dapcep.org or call 313-831-3050.
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SOURCE DAPCEP
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