Calculated Genius Celebrates Cohort 1 of the Summer Scholars Program
Summer Scholars Program
Cohort 1
July 2020 - August 2020
In March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was peaking, there was increasing uncertainty on the impact this would have on non-profit organizations like Calculated Genius that provide supplementary support to students.
“I was three months into my new role as Executive Director of Calculated Genius and knew I could not make plans on the hope that schools would reopen and in-person events would resume as normal. I quickly got to work to provide virtual resources for students to continue to explore the world of engineering and STEM”, said Kelley Francis.
We rolled out virtual resources students could access while home e-learning and social distancing and got to work deciding what would happen to our first-ever Summer Scholars program which was set to begin in June.
“We had an opportunity to pivot, to provide a meaningful and impactful program, but virtually” said Mrs. Francis. While not ideal, Calculated Genius made the decision to hold sessions virtually to practice social distancing and slow the spread of Covid-19. We were steadfast in our dedication and commitment to helping connect students to the world of STEM and entrepreneurship!
The Calculated Genius Summer Scholars Program is a 6-week program focused on introducing students to real-life applications of technology, engineering and entrepreneurship. The overall goal of the program is to give every participating student guidance and support to gain more confidence with STEM concepts, have a greater understanding of potential career paths, and encourage them to continue studying STEM majors. The Summer Scholars Program was provided at no-cost to our students.
When the original in-person program was first marketed, we received a total of 27 applications. After the announcement the program would be going virtual, only 11 students confirmed to participate. We held the first session on July 8 and received additional requests from other students to join. We accepted three additional students for a total of 14 scholars for our first cohort of the Summer Scholars Program.
Virtual sessions took place on Wednesdays from July 8 to August 12 from 10:00am - 1:30pm and were complimented by weekly mentor sessions with engineers for 30 minutes each week.
After six weeks exploring engineering and entrepreneurship concepts with our scholars, the program culminated in a virtual Showcase event where eleven of the fourteen scholars presented their entrepreneurial ideas to the Calculated Genius board, program mentors and volunteers, and parents. Each student had up to four minutes to pitch their business idea that would solve a problem in their everyday life. The problem could be something that impacted them as an individual, their family, school, community, or the world at large.
Ideas included:
Abike- Silky Productions- Head scarves that stay in place overnight!
Evan- Composer Companion an app to transcribe music you play
Dominic- Happy Pet- Automatic Pet Feeder
Nilah- Only Eyes Eye-wear- Glasses that are transition sunglasses, blue-light filter, weatherproof and can automatically load your prescription
Katelyn- The AccessiBALL- Ball for the visually impaired that has an audio compartment, adjustable sounds, volume and a charging port
Libby- Walker Caps- Covers for walkers with three universal sizes to ensure hardwood floors do not get marks
Roaa- PulsePoint- heart rate monitor app
Sena- Migraine Companion- Personalized and interactive migraine tracker
Vincent- StarStorm Co. Night Owl Glasses- Transitional Night Vision Glasses
Nicholas- Redheart App- An App where users can check their symptoms and access reputable medical information
Isabel- The Wonder HydroGarden- a simple planting system for people to grow food in bulk in developing countries
While all of the presentations from our Summer Scholars were extraordinary, the students peer-voted and selected the top three: Katelyn, Isabel, and Abike. These ladies will all be receiving prizes for their outstanding performance!
Our goal was to introduce students to real-life applications of engineering, technology and entrepreneurship. Utilizing the support of thirty-three (33) volunteers and mentors, we are happy to say: Mission Accomplished!
In the closing survey from our students:
100% of students mentioned they are more interested in STEM, engineering and entrepreneurship after taking our program.
100% of students would recommend this program to other high school students for next summer!
100% of students are interested in participating in other pop-up events with Calculated Genius throughout the year!
We are proud of the work exhibited from the first cohort of the Summer Scholars program and are excited to see cohort 2 come to life next Summer!
If you are interested in supporting programs like Summer Scholars, please consider becoming a partner in our work or donating today!