Lone Star College-Montgomery professor Tarcia Hubert has seen too many minority students get frustrated and discouraged with math courses so she has developed Math and Minorities in STEM (M&Ms in STEM) Summer Institute at LSC-Montgomery to change those feelings towards the academic subject.
“Science, technology, engineering and math are everywhere if you look hard enough and people of every race have made breakthroughs in these subjects,” said Hubert who is also the Executive Director of nonprofit, Making Awesome Things Happen (M.A.T.H.) “I want to inspire minority students who might not even have college on their radar. By the end of this summer institute I want them to think, ‘I can be who I am and excel in this field.’”
M&Ms in STEM will bring together 30 high school juniors and seniors from Conroe and Magnolia ISD from July 9 – 26 to expose students to college life at LSC-Montgomery while also focusing on developing math proficiencies for the college placement exam, the Texas Success Initiative (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. Hubert sees this as a way to inspire confidence in math and STEM subjects.
“We need more scientists, engineers and mathematicians, but if we do not attract a diverse group then we are doing it wrong,” said Hubert. “I believe we cannot fulfill all the needs of this country if we do not have people of different backgrounds working together.”
Applications are now open for the program. Visit MakingAwesomeThingsHappen.org. The institute is free if students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
This is the second M&Ms in STEM Summer Institute at LSC-Montgomery. Hubert is looking for volunteers to help support this summer program, if interested in helping or making a donation email her at Tarcia.L.Hubert@lonestar.edu.
Lone Star College offers high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education to 99,000 students each semester. LSC is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., serves as chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area with an annual economic impact of $3.1 billion. LSC consists of six colleges, eight centers, two university centers, Lone Star Corporate College and LSC-Online. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.