Billionaire tycoon Robert Smith is now opening up a school of his own.
The Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy is a high school open up in his hometown of Denver, Colorado. The academy will embrace science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
“When I think about what it took to create the STEAM Academy, it occurs to me it wasn’t actually about starting a school. It was about building a village,” said Robert F. Smith.
“Founded upon the principles of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), this school is grounded in three central components that are embedded in the design of each aspect of the school: Blackness: An understanding of and pride in one’s self, history of Black people and culture in the world. Inclusion: Normalizing difference and creative collaboration in the classroom and community. An Interdisciplinary Focus: The ability to see connections between different subject areas and develop solutions that create lasting change. Our high school experience honors students’ history, individuality, cultural experiences, and future potential.”
“The demographics of people who make up the majority of the STEM professions are not people of color. HBCUs are the number one producers of black professionals in STEM fields. The hope is that the access piece would give students the opportunity to test out and see if they want to be an engineer, or researcher or scientist,” said Abney-Wisdom, the principle of the new academy.
The new high school in the Montebello neighborhood & first class at Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy will be welcomed in August 2021 to begin the 2021-2022 school year. Rising 9th graders can enroll as early as this month, making it possible for incoming students to begin in January 2021.
–Barrington Williams, B1Daily
B1Daily 