SMASH STEM Program Launching in Illinois in Partnership with Illinois Tech, SIU Carbondale and CPASS Foundation

CHICAGO, Jan. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- SMASH, the signature STEM education program of the Kapor Center, announces SMASH Illinois, its first statewide initiative program partnership with Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech), Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and the Creating Pathways and Access for Student Success (CPASS) Foundation.

Lieutenant Governor of Illinois Juliana Stratton will be present and provide remarks on this partnership during a press conference being held on January 24 at 11am, Venue Six10, Landmark Room 610 S Michigan Ave, Chicago.

The inaugural group of students accepted into SMASH Illinois will live for five weeks during the summer of 2019 on the Illinois Tech and SIU Carbondale campuses and will all initially come from the Southside of Chicago, Carbondale, IL, and the greater East St. Louis, IL area.

The SMASH Illinois program will focus on training scholars with core STEM skills at the intersection of technology, innovation and equity in health to empower students from underrepresented communities to pursue and persist in the STEM fields and excel in the rising "HealthTech" industry.

SMASH's flagship program, SMASH Academy, is a three-year, free-of-cost, residential college preparatory program targeting high school students from traditionally underrepresented communities interested in pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematic (STEM) careers. Beginning the summer after 9^th grade, SMASH scholars take rigorous science, tech and math classes that will supplement their learning during the academic year.

SMASH's comprehensive and research-driven approach boasts significant results. A longitudinal analysis of SMASH alumni data reveal the following:

• 100% of SMASH Academy alumni graduate from high school
• 91% of SMASH Academy Alumni graduate college within 5 years
• SMASH Academy Alumni graduate with a STEM degree 2x higher than the national average.
• The return on initial investment in lifetime earnings is 96x for each SMASH alumni who earns a STEM degree, with each student projected to earn $3.6M in their lifetime

For more information, visit www.smash.org

Media Contact:
Kim Bardakian
Director of Media Relations
Kapor Center
[email protected]
510-499-5723

SOURCE SMASH Illinois

Related Links

http://www.smash.org