PCPS enters MOU with Richard Bland and other universities to help boost student confidence in STEM

Petersburg City Public Schools approved a new Memorandum of Understanding between Petersburg High School and Richard Bland College to have a gateway program where university professionals work to train high school students in STEM. 

Dr. Kim Boyd, who brought forward the MOU, was inspired to help Petersburg High Schoolers to get involved in STEM in the same way that she helped her daughter who currently holds a 3.7 G.P.A, and going to medical school. But her daughter did not get to where she is without her mother's help by calling coworkers at the universities that she worked at to help build her daughter’s confidence to do STEM. 

She wants to do the same for Petersburg students. 

“This is really untapped potential and something I think needs to be done,” she said. 

Boyd notes that students are at different stages in learning and STEM, specifically. The goal of the program, funded by grants including some from the National Science Foundation, would have juniors in high school be involved in coordinated programs and research programs to increase their belief to do STEM. 

Teams from the universities that are partnered with the MOU will come together on Bland’s campus for the summer to work with students at Petersburg to build them up on abilities to do STEM. Those schools are William and Mary, VCU, Hampton University, and Virginia State for this program. 

“It's what I want to do for all of our Petersburg high school students,” Body said. 

Funding for this program will come from grants and most will go to Petersburg High School. Boyd wanted PCPS to partner with her on some of the grants to bring the program to the schools and show grant writers that the school system approves this program. 

“If we can get us working together in a foundational standpoint, I would love it if Petersburg partnered more on some of these grants that I'm submitting,” she said. 

After answering some questions and clarifying that funding will come from grants, the board approved the MOU. This will be one of the many other STEM opportunities that are available for students in PCPS since the STEM scholars program is about to finish its first full year. 

Zoe Collins Rath (she/her/hers) is an award-winning Sports Columnist and Investigative Reporter. She is the Sports and Education reporter for The Progress- Index. For times email her at ZCollinsRath@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @zoe_jordan99.