CLEVELAND — NeoSTEM and the Cleveland Cavaliers welcomed students, families and organizations for a day of networking and recruiting for the next generation of scientists and engineers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Ebony Hood is the director of NeoSTEM; she said they were excited to bring exposure and opportunities to students who are most in need in Northeast Ohio.
“When we think about STEM professions, in our region, across the country, and across the world, there's always a lack of representation from communities of color, we want to make sure that events like this will open up student’s eyes,” said Hood.
A report from the Pew Research Center said just 9% of people in the STEM workforce are Black, and 5% in engineering.
“Being a Cleveland resident and graduate of Cleveland School District, I know for a fact that there is not enough representation. I know for my own personal college career, I was the only one in my senior class,” said Hood.
Students like 10th grader Delona Trice are working to make a difference in their community by recruiting minority youth to science.
“Just getting this knowledge, even if that’s not what you choose to be. It’s very helpful for people like us to get out there and make sure we are educated because if we're not educated, we’re not going to get anywhere as a group,” said Trice.
Trice is working towards being a psychiatrist and hopes others will be inspired by her career path.
“There isn’t a lot of Black women in science or Black doctors, so it is very exciting to be a part of this journey, and I am getting out there to help my environment succeed,” said Trice.
Organizations like NASA, Sherwin-Williams, Minority Tech-Alliance and Great Lakes Science Center were in attendance for STEM Day, as well as Cleveland’s Mayor Justin Bibb, who kicked off the event, reminding people that Cleveland was the first Silicone Valley.
“The world's first billionaire, John D. Rockefeller, started Standard Oil right here in Cleveland. Which helped fuel America's first Industrial Revolution, and as I look out to the crowd right now, I see the next great millionaires, billionaires," said Bibb. "We all have a moral obligation to make sure that opportunity and access is equally distributed. because the talent is there, and every part of our city, and you all have a role to play to make that vision a reality."
