Minorities remain underrepresented in STEM. A new science center aims to change that.
Cameron GoodnightEastSide Charter's School's $25 million science hub is no longer just a vision on paper — its construction is underway. Proposed in 2021, the center is intended to remedy a lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics — collectively known as STEM.
The center will be open to everyone across the state, said Aaron Bass, the charter school's CEO. Students can learn about coding and 3D printing, while adults can learn about robotics and take advantage of job training, he said.
Construction of the project began in late December, when the school tore down a warehouse to make way for the new science center. In preparation of demolition and New Year’s Day, the school asked students and the community to spray paint the building with items they wanted to leave in the year 2022.
Students and community members tagged the building with expressions like, "VIOLENCE", "HATE", "COVID", "FAKE FRIENDS" and "ANXIETY", Bass said.
“Our plan was that when the students came back to school in 2023 — they would see just rubble from the warehouse being torn down and hopefully that is what we want to happen to all the negativity in the world,” Bass said.
Delaware has lacked a facility that could provide students with the opportunity to learn STEM outside of school, Bass said.
“If your school doesn’t happen to have this engineering program … [or] this coding program, ... where are you going?” Bass said. “You need to have an access point … [and] we’re providing that.”
Philanthropic donations through First Community Foundation have in large part funded the project, according to Bass, and partners like the Wilmington Public Library, Barclays Bank Delaware and Chemours — a global chemistry company based in Wilmington — have also supported it.
In 2021, Chemours invested $4 million in the project as part of its "ChemFEST” program [stands for Chemours Future of Engineering, Science, Trades and Technology], a school partnership initiative focused on inspiring a new generation of STEM students, specifically targeting underserved communities.
"STEM can … provide a way of developing students in these communities and providing them with a better economic future," said Mark Newman, the company’s CEO.
Students envision STEM futures with new $4M Chemours facility coming to Wilmington
Nationwide, Black and Hispanic adults are significantly underrepresented in the STEM industry, according to a report from the Pew Research Center. The groups account for just 9% and 8%, respectively, of STEM workers, the report states.
Newman said the lack of diversity in the industry can be attributed to students not being interested in STEM at a young age.
"We have found that children elect out of science in high school if they don't become interested in science in elementary school, and by the time they reach the end of high school they never pursue STEM without major reeducation," Newman said. “Through this new facility, our vision is that some of the students at East Charter go on to pursue careers in STEM and ultimately work for Chemours.”
Newman said the new facility has the potential to have a broad impact on communities across Delaware.
“We view this as a 'first-of-its-kind' investment in an underserved community, and we hope it becomes a template for other corporations like ourselves who are interested in STEM and getting children excited about science at an early age," he said.
The new science hub is slated to open in fall 2024 and be within walking distance from the charter school, off 3000 N. Claymont St., said Bass, EastSide's CEO. A groundbreaking ceremony is set for Wednesday.
Have a tip or story ideas? Contact local reporter Cameron Goodnight at cgoodnight@delawareonline.com, or by calling or texting 302-324-2208. Follow him on Twitter at @CamGoodnight.