Overview
Last year, 84% of teens attending our Clubs planned to go to a 4-year college. However, across Philadelphia, only 25% of public school students enroll in college. Of those who do enroll, only 10% earn a degree. Within the STEM field, there will be 9 million STEM-related jobs in 2022. 95% of STEM workers have postsecondary education and training, larger than any other field of work. Additionally, STEM-related fields are among the fastest-growing industries, with a growth of 17% from 2008 to 2018.1 Furthermore, within the entire U.S. STEM workforce, minorities account for only about 20% of employees, primarily due to the lack of resources and preparation within schools.
Since 2014, Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia ’s STEM Learning Labs program serves over 900 youth from grades K-12 within all 18 Club locations. The objectives of our STEM Learning Labs programming are to introduce youth to STEM Learning in a hands-on, engaging manner, ensure that youth have the knowledge and resources to pursue advanced STEM courses in higher learning, and increase participants’ knowledge and interest in STEM careers. BGCP offers a wide array of STEM programs for kids to accomplish these goals, including:
