INROADS, Inc. — a global solutions provider for addressing community disparities and talent pipeline issues — partners with The APEX (African American Panoramic Experience) Museum to provide academically gifted and underrepresented students in Atlanta with access to virtual coding and leadership training.
The STEM/STEAM program is a virtual platform that includes Smart Learning Solutions, a national independent education provider, volunteers and a community-based project engagement team from The APEX Museum, including a diverse recent college graduate from High Point University. The virtual program is designed utilizing EDISON Robots and access to cutting-edge coding technology to promote STEM/STEAM education for motivated, underrepresented students.
The new virtual curriculum launched during a time when academically gifted students of color searched for summer development programs in a global pandemic with historic demands for virtual enrichment.
“When the academic year comes to a close, and the summer begins, the hard work of connecting students to virtual enrichment opportunities begins. It is up to the civic community to stand up and provide valuable summer enrichment opportunities to families who want to further their students’ abilities, and do so via a well-designed virtual platform,” says Forest T. Harper, Jr., president and CEO, INROADS, Inc.
APEX Museum — a Black history museum that connects communities to international history through the lens of the Black experience — began pioneering this new virtual STEM/STEAM curriculum for high school students in 2017. Later, in 2020, the 2017 hands-on program was re-designed to a virtual classroom, a unique “Fast Start” pilot for middle school students. The project is planned for expansion with The APEX Museum and INROADS. The program is a critical virtual offering in a time when digital classrooms are needed most.
“Underrepresented communities are facing unprecedented times as a result of the global pandemic. One of the most significant challenges facing communities of color is the disruption to in-person learning and the abrupt transition many families had to make to digital learning. Our partnership with INROADS helps us to meet a community need for access to high-quality and accessible virtual learning,” says Dan Moore, president, APEX Museum.
With this partnership, INROADS advances its commitment to address community disparities regarding access to technology. In February of this year, INROADS was named as a partner to P&G’s Take on Race initiative — a collective of industries committed to addressing digital access and technological disparities in communities of color. With INROADS, Take on Race Coalition announced a $25 million investment to provide one million connected devices to students to help close the digital divide.
About The APEX Museum
The APEX (African American Panoramic Experience) Museum is Atlanta’s first Black History Museum, established in 1978. It sits at the Gateway to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic District in Atlanta, Georgia. The outreach programming includes an extensive award-winning STEM/STEAM program that transforms young minds into brilliant ideas that capture the imagination and create new and innovative inventions and products. To learn more, contact Janet Hill, Director Phase II Expansion, jhill@apexmuseum.org.
About INROADS
INROADS was founded more than 50 years ago. Inspired by the famed I Have a Dream speech, Frank Carr founded INROADS to remove career barriers to corporate opportunities for people of color. It is the largest nonprofit organization committed to leadership and career development for underrepresented talent in the world. INROADS has prepared more than 154,000 diverse leaders with pre-employment skills and graduated more than 30,000 alumni into full-time professional positions with more than 1,000 corporate partners. Currently, INROADS serves 800-1,300 interns and 200 corporate clients. Learn more at INROADS.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn: @INROADSInc.
