Detroit-headquartered company’s expanded commitment to The Engineering Society of Detroit Girls in Engineering Academy marks $50,000 in total support since 2020

Earlier today, our company announced it awarded a $25,000 grant to The Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD) Girls in Engineering Academy to improve academic achievement and increase interest in engineering careers among girls in metro Detroit, and in turn narrow the diversity gap in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers. This grant – awarded in observance of National STEM Day – is an expansion of our support of the ESD Girls in Engineering Academy, bringing Urban Science’s total investment to $50,000 since 2020. In addition to monetary support, we’ll also make members of its Detroit-based team available for student mentoring and job shadowing in the future.  

Each year, ESD selects 30 middle school girls to participate in a summer and academic-year program that delivers math and science enrichment, shares engineering and computer science concepts, improves English and language arts comprehension, and engages students in mentoring, among other curriculum offerings, to increase awareness of STEM and engineering opportunities among participants; in doing so, the academy helps students forge new avenues to rewarding careers that may not have been available otherwise. The academy strategically develops and deploys programming and experiences to make STEM exciting and engaging, and to support students through curriculum – including college engineering school pre-requisites, like calculus – that often becomes a barrier to engineering school admission for young women in Detroit. 

Urban Science’s support will empower Girls in Engineering Academy to continue to build strong STEM foundations that will help diverse homegrown talent graduate high school and gain admission into four-year colleges and universities. Regardless of whether academy graduates decide to pursue engineering careers, the core curriculum and skills they gain – and the mentoring they receive – will create a solid foundation of core knowledge, and positive study and personal skills, that will position them for short- and long-term success.  

Several leading universities across Michigan have pledged admission and scholarships to girls who complete the academy’s curriculum and graduate high school. 

We salute ESD for its efforts to empower our next generation of female engineers to succeed in the short and long term, and we’re grateful to for the opportunity to support these efforts. On behalf of Urban Scientists working around the globe, good luck to all this year’s Girls in Engineering Academy participants. We can’t wait to see all you’ll achieve in the future!