For 20 years, the Whiting School’s Center for Educational Outreach (CEO) has focused on igniting and deepening a passion for STEM in pre-K–12 students and teachers, while strengthening Johns Hopkins Engineering’s connections in the Baltimore community.
With programs ranging from after-school activities and engineering-based academic offerings for city school students to educator training, the center has reached over 100,000 individuals since it launched.
Programs include the Barclay Hopkins STEM Partnership, a far-reaching effort encompassing everything from teachers’ professional development to curricula and after-school activities for pre-K–8 students, and the Robotics Outreach program, through which Johns Hopkins students mentor local teams, preparing them for competitions.
STEM Achievement in Baltimore City Schools, originally a CEO effort to enhance elementary science and engineering instruction and provide community-based experiences to students at a few city schools, is now available districtwide, reaching nearly 35,000 students annually.
“Our initiatives provide students with a strong foundation of knowledge, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. And by focusing on underrepresented groups, we’re helping shape a more diverse future in STEM,” says Alisha Sparks, executive director of the Center for Educational Outreach. She adds, “CEO’s 20th anniversary lets us reflect on our accomplishments and provides a chance to consider how we inspire new generations of innovators and problem-solvers.”