By Steve Mosco
An influx of money will help an Ozone Park school engineer some higher learning.
The High School for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture, at 94-06 104th St., is one of 10 academies of engineering across the country set to receive a combined $50,000 in funding from the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering.
The Ozone Park school was selected based on its commitment to enhancing learning opportunities for minority students on track to pursue higher education in science, technology, engineering and math careers.
“The High School for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering since we first opened our doors seven years ago,” said Assistant Principal Steven Wynn. “During this time, NACME has generously supported our school’s mission through grants, scholarships, student internships, business and university partnerships, and through their vast network of professional resources. We are extremely grateful for their ongoing support in providing educational resources to minority high school students interested in pursuing careers in math, science, technology and engineering” — known as STEM education.
Wynn said the school’s faculty is still determining the best way to use the funds, which will amount to a windfall of $5,000. NACME officials said the funding will provide equipment and other classroom materials for high school students and their teachers that will help them participate in hands-on learning.
Along with the spending cash, the school also received NACME’s Pre-Engineering Scholarship applications in the amount of $2,500. This will give students a range of resources available through NACME.
“The students in academics of engineering like Construction Trades Engineering and Architecture School are going to be tomorrow’s engineers, so we need to provide them with every possible opportunity to succeed,” said Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail, NACME president and CEO.
The grant is made possible through a $150,000 contribution to NACME made by AT&T to promote high-tech skills among minority students.
“There is an increasing demand among employers for workers with high-tech skills and AT&T is committed to helping to foster these skills in students such as those attending Construction Trades Engineering and Architecture School,” said Marissa Shorenstein, president of AT&T New York. “By supporting STEM education programs, we can ensure that as many students as possible have access to the skills they need to succeed in college and in the global economy.”
In addition to the Ozone Park school, nine other engineering institutes in Texas, Wisconsin, California, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana and North Carolina each received $5,000 in funding.
“AT&T’s support for the 10 high schools in the Academy of Engineering model is an excellent example of the strength of this commitment and makes a compelling case for the efficacy of private-public partnerships in advancing STEM education,” McPhail said.
Reach reporter Steve Mosco by e-mail at smosco@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
