Support from Toyota allows HudsonAlpha to create a new after-school STEM program to be held in collaboration with nonprofits across Huntsville

By Lillie Mermoud

At a time when more and more technology and STEM-focused companies are increasing their workforce needs, particularly in North Alabama, it is more important than ever to help raise up the next generation of a diverse and educated STEM workforce. 

According to the Alabama STEM Council, only 27 percent of school children across the state tested at or above grade level in math in 2022, and just 37 percent were considered proficient in science. Of those students, only 23 percent of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds tested as proficient in science, while only 24 percent of Hispanic/Latino and 18 percent of Black students were considered at grade level proficiency. 

Photo credit: Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama

Though STEM programming is an important component of Alabama public school curriculums, enrolling in after-school programs can help reverse deficiencies in our state’s STEM proficiency levels. Many students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds or rural areas face economic and geographic barriers to accessing such programs, making it harder for those students to strengthen their STEM skills. 

Toyota Alabama is making it possible for HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology to make STEM more accessible through their generous support of Genetic Explorers, a new pilot after-school collaboration between HudsonAlpha and nonprofit organizations across North Alabama.

Genetic Explorers presents biotechnology principles, such as the basics of genetics and genomics, to rising third through rising fifth graders using fun and engaging activities. Materials include hands-on educational activity kits, HudsonAlpha-developed education videos, and digital and printed lesson plans for educators.

What sets this program apart from many of HudsonAlpha’s existing educational offerings is that it will not be hosted on HudsonAlpha’s campus. To make the program as accessible as possible, Genetic Explorers will be hosted at nonprofit organizations across North Alabama that serve the region’s underrepresented and disadvantaged youth, such as Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama and more. 

“Exposing students to STEM opportunities is key to building our community’s future workforce,” said Bekah Schmidt, Corporate Communications Analyst at Toyota Alabama. “Genetic Explorers takes STEM beyond the four walls of a classroom to make quality STEM instruction accessible for all students.”

Photo credit: Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama

The pilot will launch in the spring of 2024 at two Boys & Girls Club sites in Scottsboro and the Lincoln Mill neighborhood in Huntsville. Toyota Alabama’s support gives HudsonAlpha the resources to prepare for the 2024 launch by producing educational materials, purchasing equipment and materials needed for the program’s hands-on activities, training Boys & Girls Club educators on-site, and supporting HudsonAlpha educators leading the program. Once launched, HudsonAlpha will continue to provide all materials necessary to the Boys & Girls Clubs and other collaborators.

“The generous support Toyota Alabama has provided is allowing HudsonAlpha to provide educational resources and increase career awareness to learners across north Alabama,” said Dasi Price, Director of Student Experiences at HudsonAlpha. “This program is important because it continues to strengthen community bonds, enhance STEM access, and minimize barriers for the youth participating in the established programs at the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama.”

The Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama serve 1,400 students across 15 locations through after-school and summer programming in education, arts, sports, and community engagement. The children who are served by these clubs have been shown to outperform their peers when it comes to school achievement, healthy choices, and civic engagement. By collaborating with organizations like these, HudsonAlpha can inspire future STEM leaders in new ways and make STEM a more inclusive and accessible field.

“Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama is excited to be partnering with HudsonAlpha on the Genetic Explorers program. As a youth-serving organization, we cannot think of a better organization for our members to be inspired by than HudsonAlpha,” says Angela O’Neil, STEM Director of Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama. “We are thrilled that we will be able to get biotechnology into our members’ hands in a meaningful way that can put them on the path to a STEM career.”