DAPCEP kicks off its 45th Fall Semester this month. The local nonprofit has prepared roughly 70,000 underrepresented students for STEM futures.
“We are grateful to all our parents, partners and program providers, our Board and our staff who have supported DAPCEP for decades. Only with this support are we able to continue providing unique STEM experiences for nearly 11,000 students each year,” said DAPCEP Executive Director Michelle Reaves DETROIT (PRWEB) September 14, 2021
Since its beginnings in 1976, Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP) has become one of the leading nonprofit organizations of choice for maximizing underrepresented youth potential for success in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). DAPCEP’s standards-based curriculum will expose students to unique STEM experiences including: Animation, Artificial Intelligence and Coding, Bioengineering and other Engineering disciplines, Chemistry, Cyber Security, Digital Tech, Mobile Apps, Accounting, Nuclear Power, SAT Prep, Urban Design and more.
DAPCEP Explorers’ eight-week modules that will expose PK through 3rd graders to various science and engineering concepts will be held on Saturdays beginning September 25th. DAPCEP Pathfinders’ six-week modules for grades 4th through 12th will be held on Saturdays starting October 9th. Semester classes will culminate in a final showcase event held November 13th. Interested parents and students can view the full list of Fall 2021 courses online and register at: https://dapcep.asapconnected.com/#CourseIndex, call the DAPCEP office (313-831-3050) or send an email to: [email protected]. Registration for PK through 3rd grade classes ends September 17th and enrollment for 4th through 12th grade classes ends September 24th. Working with Bradley University, DAPCEP Fall virtual courses for 4th through 8th grade students are underway in Peoria, Illinois.
“We are truly thrilled to kick off the Fall semester of DAPCEP’s 45th year,” said Executive Director Michelle L. Reaves. “This Fall, we have collaborated with partners — Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Altair Engineering and PriceWaterhouseCoopers — and several area universities and educational providers to supply our students with a unique array of hands-on activities that acclimates them with STEM concepts and supplements their academic studies. We will continue with virtual programming to keep our students and instructors safe. We are grateful to all our parents, our partners and program providers, our Board and our staff who have supported DAPCEP for decades. Only with this support are we able to continue providing authentic, interactive STEM experiences for nearly 11,000 students each year.”
Classes will be held online, primarily via Zoom. Course materials will be distributed the week prior to when classes start — either by mail, or via scheduled safe pick-up at the DAPCEP office located in downtown Detroit. Thanks to the generous support of our corporate partners, most of the costs required to deliver DAPCEP’s courses have been covered. There is a $75 fee for the Explorers program, and $25 fee for Pathfinders courses. Limited scholarships are available for eligible families.
DAPCEP is the brainchild of the late Mr. Kenneth Hill, who founded the nonprofit with 245 students in 1976. During a mission in Africa, Hill – an educator and engineer by trade – taught local students Calculus by candlelight. This experience motivated Hill to create a similar program in Detroit. Initiated with a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, DAPCEP began in partnership with the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, one Detroit high school and two middle schools. Since then, DAPCEP maintains a 50: 50 female-to-male ratio, a near 100 percent graduation rate and has amassed roughly 70,000 alumni.
To ready Cody Rouge community students for the 2021-2022 academic year, DAPCEP, together with the St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center, Global Automotive Alliance, Consumers Energy’s Minority Advisory Panel and the Detroit Police Department hosted a Back-To-School Fair late August.
The 10th annual DAPCEP Real McCoy Awards presented by DTE Energy will be held on Thursday, September 30th at 6: 00pmET. Named after famed inventor and Detroiter Elijah McCoy, this annual event honors distinguished professionals and youth who have demonstrated excellence in STEM throughout the year and a commitment to motivate the next generation of STEM professionals. With continued precautionary measures in place, this year’s event will be pre-recorded and broadcast virtually via DAPCEP’s Facebook page.
Reaves, the first woman to be named DAPCEP’s Executive Director, added: “A recent Pew Research Center report shows that African American and Latinx workers make up just 17 percent of the STEM workforce. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that the world needs more scientists, more engineers and more researchers to support diverse communities.”
About DAPCEP
Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP) is an educational 501(c)3 organization that has prepared underrepresented pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade students throughout Southeast Michigan for STEM futures since 1976. Using a standards-aligned curriculum, DAPCEP programs are designed to develop students’ school and life readiness skills such as critical thinking, creativity, confidence, communication and collaboration. Through the generous support of partners, schools and universities, alumni, parents and the community, DAPCEP engages 11,000 students each year. With more than 68,000 alumni, a 50-50 female-to-male student ratio and a near 100% graduation rate, DAPCEP remains one of the leading organizations of choice for maximizing youth potential for success. For more information, visit the DAPCEP website (http://www.dapcep.org), call 313-831-3050 and follow DAPCEP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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