National Recognition of Programs That Are Making a Difference for All Underrepresented Groups in the Fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Miami, Aug. 9, 2019- Miami Dade College’s (MDC) received the 2019 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education. The Inspiring Programs in STEM Award honors colleges and universities that encourage and assist students from underrepresented groups to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). MDC will be featured, along with 49 other recipients, in the September 2019 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
MDC has the prestigious honor of having two of the 50 STEM programs that INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected. MDC’s STEM-Mia and Cloud101 Bootcamp programs were chosen based on their efforts to inspire and encourage a new generation of young people to consider careers in STEM.
“We know that many STEM programs are not always recognized for their success, dedication, and mentorship for underrepresented students,” said Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We want to honor the schools and organizations that have created programs that inspire and encourage young people who may currently be in or are interested in a future career in STEM. We are proud to honor these programs as role models to other institutions of higher education and beyond.”
With funding from the National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM), the STEM-Mia (“my STEM” in Spanish) program aims to increase the number of academically talented, low-income students pursuing and completing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The program promotes increased success, retention, and degree completion of associate of arts degree in STEM within two years.
Cloud101 is an annual high school summer bootcamp, in partnership with MDC College Career Connect, that aims to promote cloud computing literacy and recruit dual enrollment students into emerging technology programs such as cloud computing. The introductory curriculum for Cloud Foundations is developed by industry partner Amazon Web Services (AWS) Academy and it is taught by MDC AWS Academy certified faculty members. The topics covered are cloud concepts, cloud architecture, cloud technology, cloud networking and security, business value, billing and pricing.
Both programs are implemented under the leadership of Program Director, Dr. Elodie Billionniere, who is an Associate Professor for the School of Engineering and Technology at MDC’s Eduardo J. Padrón Campus.
For more information about the 2019 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award and INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, visit insightintodiversity.com.