This spring, Syracuse University’s chapter of the Society of Asian Engineers (SASE) hosted a STEM exploration outreach event for Henninger High School students with an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The event provided 40 high school students with an understanding of the college application process, career outcomes of STEM, a tour of campus, introductions to new technologies and a hands-on activity.
SASE members and Henninger High School students interacted at the outreach event.
SASE coordinated the event in partnership with the White House Initiative for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) and enlisted students from Professor Jesse Bond’s “Service Learning Projects in Sustainability” class to help run it.
Bond says, “The students really stepped up for this event, and they have done amazing and inspiring work all semester. I was extremely impressed by how they interacted with the visitors from Henninger.”
WHIAAPI and SASE began a two-year partnership beginning in September of 2014. SASE prepares Asian heritage scientists, engineers and technologists for success, celebrates diversity on campus and in the workplace, and provides opportunities for members to make contributions to their local communities. WHIAAPI aims to create a pipeline for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to reach their full potential through education opportunities. The organizations’ missions are well aligned to contribute in a positive way to students at SU and in the Syracuse community.
Chemical engineering alumna Jen Chen ’16 says, “Since creating this partnership, we’ve realized that we have a plethora of resources and with the program we have been able to connect the resources with the community.”
