STEM

Support Positive Images of Black STEM Students

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hoodsmartTwo things are evident in American society today. For one, there are not many positive images of black people in mainstream media, especially black males. While there have been some recent victories in television, like Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder and Black-ish, most of what’s on TV today are reality shows awashed in the very worst stereotypes about African-Americans.

The other evident thing is that there is a lack of African-Americans in STEM careers. I am sure you all have heard all the discussions about having more racial and gender inclusion in Silicon Valley and other STEM sectors.

Well, here is an interesting thing I stumbled upon that attempts to deal with these two racial issues simultaneously.

Maryland assistant principal Ateya M. Ball-Lacy is the creator and executive producer of a new reality show she is trying to launch called HoodSmart: The Urban STEMulus Project.

This would be a reality show that takes its cues from MTV’s The Real World, where 15 African-American STEM students are put into a house and compete in a variety of science, technology, engineering, and math related challenges for the ultimate prize of a full college scholarship.

“There are so many dimensions to us as a black community and our experiences in America, and I started to wonder why no one was telling that story,” said Ball-Lacy to UrbanGeekz. “There has always been a focus on the negative parts. Through this revolutionary reality show, we intend to change the image of urban America by providing a platform for African American youth to observe, celebrate and ultimately emulate the academic prowess of their peers, all before a live national T.V. audience.”

I don’t know what the status is on this show and if it was picked up by a network. It doesn’t look like HoodSmart raised enough money on their Indiegogo campaign. I get the impression the creator is only looking to put this on traditional network or cable television. If I was her, I would actually just produce a video series that can be viewed on YouTube and build momentum from there. Either way, I hope HoodSmart gets the greenlight somewhere.

I am a strong believer in being the change I want to see in the world. So I guess I am doing my small part by presenting this on my blog this week. I know a lot of people who work in the media who follow this blog, and, maybe one of them will take an interest in HoodSmart…

Watch the trailer here:

What is Good Design?

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International Girls in ICT Day

Last Saturday, I was invited to be on a panel discussion about women in ICT careers for a group of teenaged girls aspiring for future STEM jobs, as part of an International Girls in ICT Day program.  I was asked to discuss my work as a web developer and entrepreneur.  Following the discussion, I spent a couple of hours showing the girls some tricks to designing a website.

I posed a question to the girls: “What is good design.”  Most of them thought I was talking about the aesthetics of a website.  I then told them that my definition of good design is a system that creates a solution to a problem efficiently and creatively.  Yes, it is important to have a nice-looking website and that is what attracts most users initially, but website functionality is what makes users want to stay and come back to a website.

Here is what I think good website design should be:

  • Easy for the user to understand
  • Advocates for the user and commercially successfully
  • Needs to understand the business side and supports the brand
  • Knowing how to work in a collaborative manner and be able to communicate design concepts
  • Showing skills that help a designer stand out from the crowd
  • Showcasing cutting edge and futuristic design concepts

Good design concepts work in many different industries beyond web development.  Creators of products and services are always thinking about what makes good design.  Who better than Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive to explain how good design works in industrial production!

A Few Thoughts on President Obama’s Community College Plan

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President Obama Community Colleges
Last week President Obama announced that he wanted to make the nation’s community college system free of charge to students.  Under his not-so-detailed-yet plan, $60 billion will be spent over the next 10 years to make this possible.  I already have a bachelor’s degree, but I went back to school at my local community college recently to get certification in web development and programming.

Going back to school after being out for so many years can be daunting, but I had a great experience.  There are many things to like about community colleges; they are inexpensive, you don’t feel like the oldest person in the classroom and there is a lot of academic support.  Many of the teachers at community colleges do everything to help you succeed.

While I think the president’s plan so far is ambitious and promising, I also have a lot of questions that I hope he will address during his State of the Union next week.

Class issues? – Nine million students will save money from this proposed plan; however, middle class students will most likely benefit, since low income students already have their tuition covered by the Pell Grant.  Maybe the money should be given to low income students who matriculate to a 4-year public college or university if tuition exceeds the Pell Grant and maintain a certain GPA.  Speaking of which…

Higher GPA, More $$$? – Obama’s plan proposes that community college students can retain free tuition if they have a 2.5 GPA, or a ‘B’ average.  I think money should be given on a progressive scale.  If you have a 4.0 GPA, you get full free tuition.  A 2.5 GPA would be half or three quarters payment for tuition.  I think incentives systems force students to achieve more by thinking about the value of their education.

First time, and second time around? – Most scholarships and grants, including the Pell Grant, are geared towards first time college students fresh out of high school.  There are a growing number of people who may already have bachelor’s or master’s degrees, but due to the changing economy or layoffs, have to go back to school and retrain in a new field.  There should be money for those who have been affected by the recession to help them get back on their feet.

Support high demand careers – It seems like Obama’s proposal supports students majoring in all subjects.  However, the country is lacking in graduating students who are pursuing in-demand careers in STEM and this is becoming more obvious everyday in the global economy.  Priority should be given to students majoring in fields that are actually in-demand and hiring right now.

Why The STEM Economy Is Gaining STEAM

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steamSTEM has a branding problem.

A couple of weeks ago I had my regular meeting with Cynthia and Keyshia, two students I am mentoring. In our latest gathering, I asked them if they had any thoughts on the role of the arts in STEM fields.  Both of them were confused at first and thought I was joking.  They didn’t realize that the arts played an important role in these traditionally technical fields.

I explained to them the roles a web designer and a web developer play in building a website.  I think a recent Ask GWA post really did a good job explaining this:

…To put it into a different context, let’s think of a car.  Web designers are in charge of how the car looks and feels, such as the color and design inside and outside, the shape and comfort of the car seats, the texture and use of the steering wheel and even the smell of the car.  Web developers deal with how the car functions, like making sure the engine works in relation to the steering wheel, brakes and the gas tank, fixing a bad muffler and even making sure the radio works…

The same can be said about the iPhone.  One of the reasons it is such a popular phone is not only because of its superior functionality, but also for its beautiful design.

I’m glad STEAM industries are getting more attention, especially in U.S. schools.  Below I found these two videos that talk about this growing movement.

Renowned graphic designer John Maeda discusses the role of the arts in technical industries.

Brent Bushnell and Eric Gradman, co-founders of the Two Bit Circus, talk about the STEAM Carnival.

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