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Oct. 18, 2024 By Tara Bellevue
If there is one value I hold most dear from my 20 years of experience as both an educator and administrator, it is this: Students deserve equitable access to opportunity for college, career, and future success — no matter where their pathways may lead. Here in New York City, opportunity increasingly lies in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, which have seen significant local growth in recent years.
But the tremendous opportunities STEM presents are unfortunately not yet equally accessible to all students. Despite recent gains, women and many people of color, especially Black and Hispanic communities, are still underrepresented. This goes for both STEM degree attainment, as well as participation in the workforce and especially in leadership positions.
The key to closing this gap, and making access to opportunity more equitable, is early intervention. New York City is addressing this critical area with a range of initiatives, from newly standardized math curricula for middle and high school, to offering camps during spring break and summer.
It is a start — but the city has room to do more. We need to take advantage of every opportunity for smart investments in real-world, hands-on STEM education targeted at underrepresented students that can integrate seamlessly into their regular school day, and augment what they are already learning in the classroom.
The proposed JFK STEAM Center in Queens is a prime example. It would be part of the JFK Airport redevelopment, creating a space for local students to build skills in mechanical engineering, cybersecurity and AI tech, aviation and more — including the arts as an additional field of study. Students would use state-of-the-art equipment and engage directly with industry professionals.
The Queens location is one key way this proposal would ensure that equity is a focal point for the STEAM Center’s unique learning opportunities. In a borough with significant racial and socioeconomic diversity, the JFK STEAM Center would particularly support students from under-resourced backgrounds in Southeast Queens.
Furthermore, the JFK STEAM Center would focus on work-based learning, which research shows is especially effective for advancing equity and opportunity. All learning experiences would drive toward three main outcomes: students would be able to identify their own career aspirations, come away with tangible skills relevant across multiple fields, and build the social capital with industry professionals that is so critical to harnessing future opportunities.
In this way, it would align with other effective programming in New York City, like the Brooklyn STEAM Center — and then go a step further, with an even more comprehensive approach. Under the guidance of national education nonprofit NAF’s design, the JFK STEAM Center would offer two more elements to complement work-based learning and internships: rigorous, career-focused curricula; and advisory boards where businesspeople and community leaders can play an active role in designing learning experiences. Over the past 45 years, NAF has witnessed that this approach enhances student performance, supports school and district priorities, and promotes collaboration between education and business leaders to strengthen local economies and talent pipelines.
Our local elected officials in Queens are eager to make this a reality, with $25,000 in discretionary funds recently allocated for the next stages of planning the JFK STEAM Center. The critical next step is ensuring that additional funding is included in the city budget at the end of this year. By investing in more innovative and equitable educational experiences like this, New York City can widen the gateway to opportunity for our city’s brilliant students and ensure they are primed for future success.
- *Tara Bellevue is the Vice President, DEIA Strategic Alliances & Business Development, at NAF, a national nonprofit that partners with public schools and businesses to prepare high school students for future careers.
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