NJIT to Host STEM Pi Day for Newark Public Schools

Published: Monday, February 25, 2019
PRESS RELEASE
Contact Information: Media Relations, mediarelations@njit.edu or 973-642-7042

MEDIA ADVISORY

NJIT to Host STEM Pi Day for Newark Public Schools

WHAT: The Center for Pre-College Programs (CPCP) at NJIT will host a STEM Pi Day for elementary and middle school-aged students from Newark Public Schools (NPS), to provide a day of hands-on STEM activities designed to help students connect classroom learning with real-world challenges and experience the fun of exploring STEM in a university setting. Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant, Π (pi), on March 14, which represents the first three digits of the constant (3.14). March is also STEM month for the state of New Jersey.

WHEN: NJIT will welcome 452 students from the fourth through eighth grades, representing 45 schools, Thursday, March 14, 2019 (Pi Day), with registration starting at 9 a.m. Welcome remarks from Roger León, superintendent, NPS; Laurent Simon, vice provost, Office of Undergraduate Studies, NJIT; and Jacqueline L. Cusack, executive director, CPCP, will begin at 9:30 a.m. Students will rotate in the morning and afternoon to two different hands-on activities in NJIT’s Wellness and Events Center (WEC) and participate in a campuswide Scavenger Hunt. At lunchtime, the GigaBeats vocal group and NJIT Dance Team will perform, followed by an overview of CPCP programs. Students will interact with volunteers from Stryker, the CPCP Advisory Board, NJIT departments and NJIT student organizations that will be assisting with STEM Pi Day.

WHERE: The Wellness and Events Center (WEC) on the NJIT campus.

WHY: According to a longitudinal study of the postsecondary outcomes of Newark high school graduates from 2011 to 2016 (Backstrand & Donaldson, 2018), the number of students completing high school in Newark Public Schools has increased, but there is a need to increase the pipeline of students enrolled in, retained by and graduated from postsecondary colleges. A shortage of students interested in and academically prepared to complete STEM-related degrees at the postsecondary level to meet the workforce demands in STEM is a national, state and local issue, particularly for underrepresented populations such as females and minorities. Carnevale, Smith and Melton (2014) projected that 6 percent of all jobs in the state of New Jersey would be STEM-related by 2018. To fulfill NJIT’s four-pronged mission of education, research, economic development and service, the Center for Pre-College Programs continues its commitment to “inspire young minds for college access and success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).”

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS: See below.

BACKGROUND: The Center for Pre-College Programs has partnered with Newark Public Schools since its inception 40 years ago in 1979.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Center for Pre-College Programs at NJIT, 973-596-3550, cpcp@njit.edu.

 

Schools Participating in NJIT STEM Pi Day

  1. American History High School [Note: 7th- to 8th-graders only]
  2. Ann Street School
  3. Arts High School [Note: 7th- to 8th-graders only]
  4. Avon Avenue Elementary School
  5. Belmont Runyon Community School
  6. Benjamin Franklin Elementary School
  7. Branch Brook School
  8. Camden Street School
  9. Chancellor Avenue School
  10. Cleveland Elementary School
  11. Dr. E. Alma Flagg School
  12. Dr. William H. Horton School
  13. Eagle Academy for Young Men
  14. Elliott Street Elementary School
  15. First Avenue School
  16. Fourteenth Avenue School [Note: This is a Specialized School.]
  17. George Washington Carver School
  18. Harriet Tubman School
  19. Hawkins Street School
  20. Hawthorne Avenue School
  21. Ivy Hill Elementary School
  22. John F. Kennedy [Note: This is a Specialized School.]
  23. Lafayette Street School
  24. Lincoln Elementary School
  25. Luis Munoz Marin School
  26. McKinley Elementary School
  27. Mount Vernon School
  28. NJ Regional Day [Note: This is a Specialized School.]
  29. Oliver Street School
  30. Park Elementary School
  31. Peshine Avenue School
  32. Quitman Street Community School
  33. Rafael Hernandez Elementary School
  34. Ridge Street School
  35. Roberto Clemente Elementary School
  36. Salomé Ureña Elementary School
  37. Science Park High School [Note: 7th- to 8th-graders only]
  38. South 17th Street School
  39. South Street School
  40. Speedway Academies
  41. Spencer Miller Community School
  42. Sussex Avenue Renew School
  43. Thirteenth Avenue School/ Dr. MLK Jr. School
  44. University High School [Note: 7th- to 8th-graders only]
  45. Wilson Avenue School
New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is the greatest producer of technological talent and knowledge in New Jersey and is a nexus of innovation — a physical and intellectual focal point for innovative ideas, actions, and people. NJIT is the only public university in New Jersey and one of only 54 universities nationally to receive a five-star rating in Money’s annual best colleges list. The New York Times college ranking tool rates NJIT No. 1 nationally among all public universities when you prioritize high alumni earnings, economic mobility, and academic profile. Additionally, the Wall Street Journal ranks NJIT No. 26 nationally for alumni salaries, No. 30 for upward mobility and No. 50 for value. NJIT also is among the top 2% of universities for alumni earnings, according to PayScale.com, and is ranked No. 23 nationally by The Princeton Review as a Best Value College, in addition to being rated among the top 50 public national universities and top 100 overall by U.S. News & World Report. NJIT also is the only polytechnic university that is an R1 (highest level) Carnegie Classification research university and is designated both an Asian-American and Hispanic serving institution.