In the Media

U.S. Department of Defense has awarded a $2.79 million grant to STEM NOLA, a New Orleans program that designs and hosts science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs in area schools. STEM NOLA plans to use the grant to extend STEM programs to the families of those serving in the military and to low-income students of color and underrepresented communities in the Gulf South. The grant award is STEM NOLA’s largest award to date.

New Orleans-based STEM NOLA received a $2.79 million grant this month from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to expand educational workshops and access across the Gulf South, serving military-connected families. It is STEM NOLA’s largest award to date and comes at a time when STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) jobs are the steadiest, most lucrative jobs available to Americans.

We are pleased to announce that our keynote speaker is Dr. Calvin Mackie, an inspirational speaker, author, professor, entrepreneur, corporate consultant, and the founder and President of STEM NOLA. Based in New Orleans, STEM NOLA has a national reputation for implementing uniquely effective programs in serving underrepresented students in STEM. He will kick off the conference with the topic of STEM: The 21st Century Social Equalizer!

Dr. Calvin Mackie, the recipient of the 2002 Black Engineer of the Year Award for College-level Education, continues to inspire communities with scientific and technical pursuits. Recently, a nonprofit organization he founded received a multi-million grant from the Department of Defense to help serve families that are connected to the military.

With an estimated 55 million students now learning from home in the U.S. alone, AT&T* created the Distance Learning and Family Connections Fund to give parents, students and teachers tools they need. The fund also provides resources to maintain meaningful connections and bonding opportunities for those isolated from family and friends.

As part of this fund, AT&T is contributing $100,000 to STEM NOLA to support the organization’s COVID response as they move their workshops and afterschool activities to a virtual platform.

Grambling State University will be hosting the first STEM Grambling “STEM Fest” engaging North Louisiana’s K-12 youth in hands-on education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). In early September, plans to launch STEM Grambling were introduced as part of the University’s ongoing partnership with Magic Johnson’s SodexoMAGIC in conjunction with STEM NOLA, a successful community-focused educational initiative based in New Orleans, LA.