Manhattan Beach

High school students excel in AT&T science program

Teens presented projects at Kingsborough

August 14, 2015 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams (far left) was among those congratulating the graduates. Photo courtesy of Kingsborough Community College
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High school students from all over the borough got a chance to show off their skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) when they presented project at Kingsborough Community College during a graduation ceremony for the AT&T Brooklyn Science Innovation Initiative.

The initiative seeks to foster interest among high school students in STEM-related careers, according to Kingsborough officials. The program, an intensive five-week course of study, included 17 high school juniors who are enrolled in College Now programs at their schools.

AT&T sponsored the inaugural Brooklyn Science Innovation Initiative at Kingsborough Community College, located at 2001 Oriental Boulevard in Manhattan Beach.  

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and AT&T New York President Marissa Shorenstein joined Kingsborough Community College President Farley Herzek at the graduation ceremony on Aug. 7.

Five teams presented their projects using Power Point presentations and visual displays. The innovative projects included a system using oysters to clean the ocean; creating cell phone cases with metal to limit radiation exposure; a proposed design for a prototype machine to clean the bottom of the ocean; a solar-powered water filtration system; and an app to help make learning earth science more enjoyable.

The projects were designed during the five-week program and were presented to an audience that included tech industry experts and scientists.

“We’re grateful for AT&T’s generosity, and are excited to partner with them as we move the needle on STEM education,” Herzek said. “We look forward to helping guide more students to STEM careers through this partnership.”

Shorenstein said that AT&T is looking to develop a new generation of tech leaders. “This partnership with Kingsborough Community College ensures students can learn about and build their skills in high tech fields and we are so proud of all the progress they made over the past five weeks,” she said.

New York City has one of the fastest growing tech and startup scenes in the world and attracts top industry talent as well as college graduates to enter the sector, according to Kingsborough officials. 

“Programs like these show that engaging our students in STEM education that creatively engage their minds are effective and rewarding,” Adams said. “For these young people, ‘the world is their oyster’, figuratively and literally!”

Kingsborough Community College serves approximately 14,000 full- and part-time students a year in liberal arts and career education. It is one of seven community colleges in the City University of New York (CUNY) system.

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