Lone Star College-Montgomery, Dr. Tarcia Hubert recently attended a White House for a conference focused on inclusive Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education for youth of color. She is bringing a unique STEM summer camp to LSC-Montgomery this summer.

True to the name of the non-profit she runs outside of teaching at Lone Star College-Montgomery, Dr. Tarcia Hubert is truly ‘Making Awesome Things Happen’ (M.A.T.H.) in Montgomery County. Fresh off her trip to the White House for a conference focused on inclusive Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education for youth of color, Dr. Hubert is bringing her program to LSC-Montgomery this summer. The summer program is called Math and Minorities in STEM or M&Ms in STEM.
 
“I believe a lot of low-income minorities veer away from STEM career fields because of the challenges they face in math courses,” said Dr. Hubert. “Many students will take the college placement exam, the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Assessment, without preparation. When they do that, many get placed in developmental math courses before they can even earn credit with college-level math courses. I have seen too many students get frustrated and discouraged and change their majors to those requiring less math leading students away from the STEM fields.”
 
M&Ms in STEM will bring together 30 high school juniors and seniors for a free math summer camp. Dr. Hubert is looking for students that might not have college on their radar. The program will expose participants to programs at LSC-Montgomery while also focusing on developing math proficiencies for the TSI Assessment. At the end of the camp, students will take the test for free and the results will count for those eligible to attend college in the fall. Dr. Hubert sees this as a way to inspire confidence in math.
 
“I want to help students truly understand, not just memorize facts or basic concepts like multiplication tables,” said Dr. Hubert. “Together we will use math to recognize, analyze and critique social inequities that exist within society. Just by exposing these students to minority historical figures who have made contributions in math and STEM helps reverse the stereotype that math is just something that white males are good at. I want to help students realize ‘I can be who I am and still excel in this field’ because we cannot fulfill diverse needs of this country if we don’t have a diverse group of people working together.”

This is the first time Dr. Hubert is running a program for high school students. She is looking for volunteers to help support this summer program, if interested in helping or making a donation visit makingawesomethingshappen.org.
 
M&Ms in STEM will take place Monday, July 24 - Wednesday, Aug. 9. Applications will open soon. Interested parents can email Dr. Hubert at Tarcia.L.Hubert@lonestar.edu.  

Known for its leadership, innovation and steadfast commitment to student success, Lone Star College provides high-quality academic transfer and workforce education / career training programs to more than 83,000 credit students each semester, and a total enrollment of 95,000 students. LSC is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to promote student success and economic prosperity. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., is the chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area, which consists of six colleges, eight centers, two university centers, Lone Star Corporate College and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.