NSBE - Convention 2011 - (Page 12)

ThE ProgrAMS zoNE SEEK Stretches for Region VI A “our children and youth — Chris Chatmon oakland unified are who they see.” fter four years in Washington, D.C., and three years in Columbus, Ohio, NSBE’s Summer Engineering Experience for Kids (SEEK) program is setting up camp in Oakland, Calif. Three hundred third through fifth graders are expected to participate in the West Coast debut of SEEK this July. “SEEK is critical because new engineers are not created in the senior year of high school: they are created early on in young peoples’ lives as they form their opinions about math and science,” says NSBE National Chair Calvin Phelps, 23, the organization’s topranking officer. “SEEK reaches and shapes our youth at that critical age. There is no other program in the nation School district with the combination of technical training and inspiration through mentorship that SEEK provides, and we truly are excited to be able to bring it to the city of Oakland.” The mission of SEEK is to build a pipeline to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for African-American and other un- derrepresented minority children. The camps feature a hands-on engineering design curriculum created by SAE International (the Society of Automotive Engineers); engineering “mentors” from the ranks of NSBE’s collegiate members across the country; and exciting weekly competitions that generate energy to match the biggest sports or entertainment event imaginable. Sponsors and other supporters of SEEK have included Google, Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc., the U.S. Coast Guard, Friendship Public Charter Schools, Columbus City Schools, STEM Columbus and founding sponsor Battelle, among others. As with all of the SEEK camps, partnerships with other organizations will be vital to the success of the program in Oakland. The S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, Chevron Corporation, The Clorox Company, Campbell/Harris Security Equipment Company and the Oakland Unified School District are among the supporters of the effort. Chris Chatmon, the Oakland school district’s executive director of African-American Male Achievement, says NSBE’s focus on letting students lead is the right approach for him. “Our children and youth are who they see,” Chatmon says. “We have to give CoNtiNuEd oN paGE 14 www.nsbe.org 12 • nsbe magazine • convention 2011 http://www.nsbe.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE - Convention 2011

Nsbe - Convention 2011
Contents
The Essence of Engineering
Flipping the Script on Retention
Nsbe’s New High-Tech Hook-Ups!
The Programs Zone
David Anfield of Walmart
Kerry Nichols of NAVAIR
Arthur Hall of Philadelphia Gas Works
Kevin Engram of Illinois Tool Works
Dr. Kevin M. Carter of MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Nsbe Calendar
Membership News
Mack Named Clarkson University Trustee
National Advisory Board Update
Nsbe Honors a Diversity ‘champion’
Things to Do in St. Louis
Golden Torch Award Winners
NSBE’s Steve Earl: Building for Home and Community
Employer Profiles
Advertisers Index

NSBE - Convention 2011