The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has received an $800,000 grant from the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services Temporary Assistance for Needed Families program.
Funding will support the creation of a Pathways Academy, a comprehensive learning and community engagement program focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for students in public middle and high schools across Arkansas. The annual grant is renewable for up to five years, or a potential commitment of $4 million.
“The Pathways Academy is meant to not only give students the opportunity to explore and pursue careers in science and health care fields, but to build bridges of community engagement and education in communities with underrepresented minority populations, opening doors for clinical and translation research as well,” said Brian Gittens, EdD, MPA, UAMS vice chancellor for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The Pathways Academy program will use online tools to engage selected Pathways Scholars from families eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and help prepare those students for careers in STEM and health care fields, with opportunities for mentoring, tutoring, attending conferences and seminars, internships, summer programming, and technology-based technical training.
The program will also engage the parents of Pathways Scholars by hosting workshops meant to help them in supporting their child’s academic career and will also provide training for scholars’ teachers.
“The achievement gap for socioeconomically disadvantaged students and students from minority backgrounds is well documented in terms of graduation and matriculation rates,” said Gittens. “Our purpose with this program is equity and providing resources to those who need them to prepare them for further academic and career advancement.”
Immediate program goals include staffing to support curriculum and program development and administration, said Gittens. This staff will then begin the work of recruitment of students, parents, and teachers.
“Our long-term goal is to grow to include 1,200 students statewide,” said Gittens. “We want to empower them, as well as their parents and teachers, to break the cycle of poverty with opportunities for education and employment and to create partnerships that help us eliminate disparities in health and wellness across the entire state.”