Detroit Public Schools and Lawrence Technological University have teamed up to provide youngsters with a chance to become more exposed to the STEAM field through early education preparedness.
The innovative partnership will enhance education in science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) at the Sampson-Webber Leadership Academy.
“Innovative partnerships such as the one created between DPS and LTU are key to the district creating an educational system that is academically competitive,” said Detroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Darnell Earley.
The program is designed to continue through their high school and college careers. Informational meetings started this month and will run through October.
Sampson-Webber Leadership Academy currently has a limited number of openings in this program for students in grades 6-8. Families interested in enrolling should call (313) 240-4377 to get more information.
Fifty middle school students will become the first Blue Devil Scholars at Sampson-Webber, and an additional 50 students will join every year after. The students are expected to continue in the program through the 12th grade.
“We want to encourage more students from Detroit to attend Lawrence Tech, and this program is designed to prepare them for success both at the college level and in their professional careers in STEAM-related fields,” said Lawrence Tech President Virinder Moudgil.
Students participating in the program will be eligible to earn college credits and given the opportunity to attend Lawrence Tech with a partial scholarship upon graduation. Lawrence Tech is making a $3.5 million scholarship commitment to attract a larger numbers of DPS students and prepare them for opportunities in the STEAM fields.
More than a dozen Lawrence Tech faculty members will be involved in the partnership with DPS, and the university together with DPS will provide additional resources and funding throughout the life of the project.
“This is an exciting new chapter in Lawrence Tech’s ongoing involvement in Detroit,” said Moudgil.
The Blue Devil Scholars program is designed to provide a systematic approach to enhance STEAM education for Sampson-Webber students starting in sixth grade and continuing through high school.
In the future, the program will expand to grades 3 through 5, and eventually the process of preparing students for STEAM education will begin in kindergarten.
“As we move forward with the transformation of DPS, we will continue to seek out partnerships/programs that enhance our curriculum and provide our students with a clear pathway to success,” said Earley.
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