December 2020 C-STEM Newsletter

Message from Dr. Reagan Flowers

College Enrollment Dropped Drastically

The harsh effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on education have reached another level of concern. Recent numbers have shown that the decline in U.S. college enrollment doubled in fall 2020 compared to fall 2019. Enrollment was 3.6% lower than in 2019. That’s more than 560,000 students. Read the Full Article…

C-STEM Programs

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This Month's Highlights

Executive Board Member Makes Inc. 5000 List

The members of the C-STEM Executive Board play a key role in ensuring we continue our mission. This month, we’d like to highlight one of these outstanding leaders, Myoshia Boykin-Anderson.

Myoshia is a Houston native and successful entrepreneur. She is an award-winning founder and CEO of one of the Countries leading IT Consulting companies, AndTech Solutions, LLC. AndTech was recently featured in Inc. magazine as one of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in America, making the magazine’s 2020 Inc. 5000 list. The honor recognizes AndTech’s 3-year growth of 100%.

Over the past 11 years, under Myoshia’s leadership, AndTech has grown into a multi seven-figure consulting firm providing custom application development and other technology services to some of the top U.S. companies and organizations. 

Myoshia is a shining example to the students we serve and teachers we support of the possibilities in technology, STEM, and entrepreneurship. We are fortunate that Myoshia chooses C-STEM as one of the many organizations she supports with her time and treasures. We are grateful for her service on the Executive Board.

Cybersecurity Training Available for High School Students

SANS is sponsoring a FREE Cybersecurity Training opportunity for U.S. high school students through the CyberStart America program. No experience or special background is needed, and students who participate will have the chance to qualify for the National Cyber Scholarship Competition through the program. The program teaches invaluable industry skills including Python coding, networking and forensics in a fun, gamified environment. 

Registration is open now, and students have through March 8, 2021, to qualify for the National Cyber Scholarship Competition. Get more details on registering here.

Thank You, We Need Your Continued Support

We hope you and your family are managing well during these difficult times. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected so much of our lives this year — including our health, livelihood, families, & social lives. However, not nearly enough attention has been given to how this crisis has impacted our children.

 Rest assured that C-STEM is paying attention! As we have done since our founding, we are working hard to fill in the gaps left by closed/changed schools & virtual learning. We are reaching out to our educational partners to provide support while operating with significantly diminished capacity and funding.

Here is where you come in. We are so grateful for the support you’ve shown this year, from donating to help us send At-Home Activity Kits to Giving Tuesday. Thank you!!! 

However, we still have a long way to go. We are asking for your help to ensure that C-STEM can put STEM learning within every child’s reach throughout the pandemic and beyond.

There are 3 ways you can help!

    1. Many of us are doing a lot of our shopping online these days. You can help us by shopping on Amazon Smile, making C-STEM your benefiting charity, or using this link: smile.amazon.com.
    2. Join us at our 10th Annual Holiday Social (either in person or virtually) on Thursday, January 28, 2021, at 5:30 pm CST RSVP NOW!
    3. Share these opportunities with your network of family, friends, & colleagues who (like you) have a passion for supporting student achievement and success!

The Links, Inc. Team-up with C-STEM

Thanks to our partnership with Comerica bank, C-STEM recently partnered with the Trinity, Texas, Chapter of The Links, Inc. to present a virtual camp. Twenty girls from grades five through eight attended the “C-STEM 2D Fabrication and Electric Circuits Virtual Camp’ the morning of Dec. 19.

The students, who attend Dallas Independent School District Thomas L. Marsalis School and Atwell Middle School, received C-STEM activity kits via mail for use during the virtual camp.

The Links, Inc. hosted the camp as part of their “So SMAART” program. So SMAART is an early intervention program established by the Trinity, Texas, Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, to mentor girls, in fourth through eighth grades, and address the lack of minority female students pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) areas. So SMAART is an acronym for “Set on Science and Engineering, Mathematics, the Arts, Aviation, Reading and Technology.’ Through a partnership with the Dallas Independent School District, Trinity Chapter conducts the So SMAART Program at Thomas L. Marsalis Elementary School and William Hawley Atwell Law Academy.

To date, So SMAART has positively motivated over 960 girls in the Dallas community to believe in their abilities, set high goals, and consistently strive to make those goals a reality. Some early graduates of the program have realized careers in math, education, law, and medicine.

In 2020, to safeguard So SMAARTers and Trinity members during the global pandemic, Trinity Chapter began to virtually conduct the So SMAART program. Monthly sessions are held on the third Saturday of each month for one hour via zoom.

Thank you, Comerica and The Links, Inc., for your social investment in C-STEM in communities you serve across the country!

Students Connect with Astronaut Victor Glover in Space

In 2017, our founder had the distinguished honor of facilitating a panel that Commander Glover served on for Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson’s annual STEM Braintrust at the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference.

Over the coming year, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Air and Space Museum is following NASA astronaut Commander Victor Glover’s journey as they travel to the International Space Station (ISS).

The journey began last month, and the partnership has already resulted in a live broadcast where students had the opportunity to learn and engage with the astronaut. Students are also being encouraged to submit artwork. Click here to see the latest on the space mission. It is a great way to keep kids engaged and learning in a fun, relevant way.

STEM Virtual Showcases Available Online

Due to the pandemic, Sheldon Independent School District was not able to hold its traditional in-person STEM PBL Showcases this year.  However that didn’t stop them! Instead, they found a way to do virtual showcases to allow their STEM Academy students and teachers a chance to show off their learnings and innovative projects.

Click on the links below to check out their exciting online showcases!

Blast From the Past Corner

We get the biggest joy going back down memory lane. C-STEM has touched so many lives over the 20 years we have been serving communities near and far. It is our hope that this memory places a smile on your face and in your heart. This month, we’re featuring photos from the 2017 ABB sponsored C-STEM Pop-up Summer Camp in Raleigh, N.C. Enjoy!

Thank You To Our Sponsors And Partners

Executive Board

Advisory Board

Michael Aldridge
Shomari Williams
Joi Beasley
Zawadi Bryant
Bobby Bryant
Lucy Bremond
Antonio ‘Tony’ Canales
LaQuita Cyprian
Laolu Davies Yemitan
Gayle Fallon
Ruthie Esene
Michael Harris
Renee Logans
David Medina
Antoinette Jackson
Scott Minnix
Dr. Sandra Saldana Ortega
Susan Taylor
Dr. Frazier Wilson
Syalisa Winata
Ross Peters
Dr. Robert Satcher
Charles Samuel
Miloni Shah
Cherrilyn B. Nedd
Dr. Martina Ogbonna
Dr. Letitia Franklin Ozoude

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11th Annual State of STEM Education Stakeholder Breakfast

Please join us at The Junior League of Houston from 7:30-9:00 AM

11th Annual State of STEM Education Stakeholder Breakfast

Please join us at The Junior League of Houston from 7:30-9:00 AM