Today, the City of Philadelphia launched a partnership with IBM to run a mentoring and STEM skills-building program for middle- and high-school-age students. The program will connect IBM senior consultants with Philadelphia youth to teach them coding through a combination of classroom and practical exercises. IBM is partnering with the city to launch this program, and SERVE Philadelphia is coordinating the effort to expand the program to 7 city-designated Community Schools. The IBM program supports the new Citywide OST Initiative and the United Nations Impact 2030 goals.
With partnerships like this, we can improve access to quality education, create career pathways & develop a diverse workforce #IBMservesPHL pic.twitter.com/nP1dGD8gDQ
— Jim Kenney (@PhillyMayor) July 25, 2017
IBM will be working with the Mayor’s Office of Education to expand the program into 7 Community Schools beginning in the fall. IBM senior consultants will visit community schools on a weekly basis, during the school year and next summer to provide 90 minute sessions of STEM and robotics curriculum, as well as a meal at each of the sites.
This program will meet identified needs in many of the city’s Community Schools. After a months-long information and feedback gathering process, “job training and access to job opportunities” was cited as one of the common needs identified across all Community Schools. Another priority identified by many Community Schools was the need for more extracurricular activities.
“We’re very excited to work with IBM to bring this program into Community Schools,” said Otis Hackney, the City’s Chief Education Officer. “This is a unique opportunity for Philadelphia youth to learn from leaders in technology, explore careers in growing fields, and enrich their academic experience with after-school projects. We’re grateful to IBM for supporting our key goals of providing extra-curricular activities and job readiness supports to students.”
@PHL_MOE charging @IBMVolunteers to empower young people in #phl #communityschools – to change the trajectory of their lives. pic.twitter.com/OrkKFP12ac
— Kara Lee Jewell (@KaraleeJewell) July 25, 2017
“We are re-tooling our skill base in IBM to make a broader impact in the world using technology,” Sam Girard, IBM VP and Sr Client Partner. “As part of that charter, we will work to make a difference in the local communities we are in to accelerate that change with the youth in Philadelphia.”