Bloomfield, NJ - According to Jessica Mazzola of NJ.com, "A New Jersey college will dedicate up to $3 million over the next five years to promote the STEM educations of its African American students. Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker, Congressman Donald Payne, Jr., and other officials gathered atBloomfield College Monday to announce the U.S. Department of Education's"Predominantly Black Institutions" grant. The federal funding is meant to support black and other underrepresented student populations pursuing careers in the STEM fields – science, technology, engineering, and math, officials announced Monday."
The grant money will be spread over five years, starting with an initial $600,000 installment.
"The underrepresentation of African-American and high-need students in STEM professions has a detrimental impact on their long-term earning potential and on the financial status of their communities," Tresmaine Grimes, Bloomfield's Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, said in a statement.
"The new PBI grant will allow Bloomfield College to expand services that help improve the academic success, retention and graduation rates of students who are interested in pursuing STEM careers."
In addition to programs for current BC students, the grant will also fund college preparatory programs for area eighth grade and high school students, school officials said. Among the programs planned include a STEM summer experience for local charter school students, and peer mentorship programs through Bloomfield's biology classes.
Of Bloomfield's approximately 2,000 students, about 52 percent are African American, school officials said. A large chunk of the grant money will also be used to fund initiatives like a STEM career awareness program for current students.
In a statement, Menendez called the grant a way of "investing in the future."
The funding, he said, "will allow Bloomfield College to open more doors for more diverse students to come to this campus and innovate, create, design, build, and be on the cutting-edge of historic technological advances that may change how we live and how we communicate."
"The underrepresentation of African-American and high-need students in STEM professions has a detrimental impact on their long-term earning potential and on the financial status of their communities," Tresmaine Grimes, Bloomfield's Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, said in a statement.
"The new PBI grant will allow Bloomfield College to expand services that help improve the academic success, retention and graduation rates of students who are interested in pursuing STEM careers."
In addition to programs for current BC students, the grant will also fund college preparatory programs for area eighth grade and high school students, school officials said. Among the programs planned include a STEM summer experience for local charter school students, and peer mentorship programs through Bloomfield's biology classes.
Of Bloomfield's approximately 2,000 students, about 52 percent are African American, school officials said. A large chunk of the grant money will also be used to fund initiatives like a STEM career awareness program for current students.
In a statement, Menendez called the grant a way of "investing in the future."
The funding, he said, "will allow Bloomfield College to open more doors for more diverse students to come to this campus and innovate, create, design, build, and be on the cutting-edge of historic technological advances that may change how we live and how we communicate."
