This summer, 十大赌博正规平台在线’s campus has been buzzing with activity, including a studious group of over 100 students in 5th through 11th grades who are getting excited 关于干细胞. 的 Sankofa STEM Academy serves children of color from the Grand Rapids area through STEM education that is as fun as it is impactful, and this year, 十大赌博正规平台在线 is their Higher Education 合作伙伴.

Sankofa, a word and symbol from the Akan people of Ghana, carries the message that one should look to one’s ancestors to guide the future. One way the students are encouraged to do this is through the names of the groups in which they take classes, like Kush, Inca, and Songhai– all ancient civilizations in Africa and South America that excelled 在阀杆. 

“We're trying to instill in them an appreciation for the role that black and brown people have played 在阀杆 over the centuries so that they understand that when they are 做 math and science, they are carrying on the legacy that was left for them,” 博士说. Keli 克里斯多夫,  founding Chief Executive Officer of STEM Greenhouse, the organization that puts on the Sankofa STEM Academy.

Dr. 克里斯多夫 grew up right here in Grand Rapids. She’s passionate about providing the resources that vulnerable children in the community need to not just get by, but 茁壮成长. She also wants students of color to have mentors and teachers 在阀杆 that 像他们一样.

After graduating from high school in Grand Rapids, Dr. 克里斯多夫 went to college in North Carolina receiving a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering before attending the University of Illinois for a master’s and a doctorate degree in the 同一领域. She 工作ed in a few roles including teaching at the college level before she started the STEM Greenhouse. In total, the STEM Greenhouse serves over 500 students through daytime in-school programs, camps like Sankofa STEM Academy and more. 

“Our ideal student is the student who has a desire to do better, and all they really need is an opportunity,” she said. “I think that’s what a lot of our kids lack is just opportunities.”

十大赌博正规平台在线 is delighted to host Sankofa STEM Academy and support the 工作 of the STEM Greenhouse. Students and their teachers have access to lecture halls, computer labs, biology laboratories, and standard classrooms in the Albertus Magnus Hall of 科学. Students also get to enjoy the 100-acre wooded campus and get familiar with what college might feel like.

“We want kids to realize that college is for them,” 博士说. 克里斯多夫. “如果你 don’t have a family that goes to college, you don't understand that this is normal. You know my kids, they expect to go to college because that is what their parents 做了. But if you don't have that it's a little bit scarier.”

的 students have made themselves at home, observing the local ducklings, finding shells in Coldbrook Creek, and walking trails through the woods. 的re might be some future Saints among them.

“It’s really been a blessing to have Aquinas open the space up to us,” 博士说. 克里斯多夫. “When God blesses you with something really beautiful that you can share with the community, that’s really cool.”

If you would like to learn more about the STEM Greenhouse, visit their website and sign up for their newsletter 或遵循 their 脸谱网 Page. 的 STEM Academy is always delighted to connect with STEM professionals who can speak to classes and find new community support. 的 STEM Greenhouse is funded by donations from corporate sponsors, so donating is an excellent way to support their 工作. You might also have a skill or connection that could help the 工作 they are 做.