For today’s spotlight we are showcasing Pursue STEM- an outreach program designed to support Black high school students who are interested in learning about academic and professional pathways available in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields at the University of Toronto (U of T).
The program was developed in March 2021 as a response to the low enrollment rate amongst Black learners in some U of T Science departments. It was initiated and led by the Physics Department in partnership with the Leadership by Design (LBD) at the Lifelong Leadership Institute (LLI) and ongoing support from U of T’s Office of Student Recruitment (OSR).
“Pursue STEM had many motivations, but if I had to identify a single trigger for me, it was regularly walking past the photos of our more than two hundred graduate students posted outside our Physics Department Graduate Office and recognizing that in most years, not a single one was Black. (This year we have one.)” said Professor David Bailey, architect behind the creation of the program.
Pursue STEM attracts grade 10-12 students from across the Greater Toronto Area where they participate in bi-weekly workshops between February and June led by scientists and U of T faculty on topics including: earth sciences, physics, statistics, computer science, astronomy and chemistry. Programming is expanded to include academic advising from U of T’s Office of Student Recruitment (OSR) Equity, Outreach and Support team on post-secondary planning, applications and access to U of T events.
Professor Bailey, recently spoke at the Leadership by Design (LBD) opening session. One of the moments from the event that resonated with Professor Bailey was shared by a Pursue STEM student who noted that it was his first time being in a room full of Black students, like himself, with a shared interest in the STEM fields. This sentiment was also echoed by other faculty at U of T.
“Other U of T physical and mathematical science departments do a bit better, but all are far below the representation that would match the GTA population,” said Professor Bailey. “Pursue STEM may only be a small step in changing this, and more generally getting more Black students into STEM, but it is these small steps that we hope will eventually make change.”
Pursue STEM is an exemplar in moving the dial on creating opportunities and building pathways for Black students in STEM. We are proud to be a partner, supporting through the Access Program University Fund (APUF) since inception, and look forward to its continued success.
To learn more about Pursue STEM, please visit www.physics.utoronto.ca/physics-at-uoft/outreach/pursue-stem/.
October 25, 2024