Sporting Kansas City has partnered with global engineering and construction company Black and Veatch to launch a program aimed at enhancing interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) among local students in grades 6-8.
“We’ve teamed up with Sporting KC to promote the value of a STEM education to young people,” said Lori Kelleher, executive director of Black and Veatch’s Building a World of Difference Foundation. “This program is another step forward in our quest to connect more kids to STEM. Doing this in collaboration with the iconic Sporting KC club and using the appeal of the world’s most popular sport is a great way to create a lot of enthusiasm.”
In 2015, Black and Veatch’s new growSTEM initiative, in partnership with Sporting KC, will include summer camps at Kansas City, Kan., middle schools. With appearances by Sporting KC players and engineers from Black and Veatch, each camp will offer a STEM-related curriculum highlighted by a challenge specifically focused on Sporting KC.
Subjects will include the engineering elements in the design of Sporting Park, technology solutions for fan engagement and on-field data analysis and display of player performance.
At the end of the program students with perfect camp attendance, their guardians and others involved with the growSTEM program will enjoy a grand finale night at the Aug. 1 game at Sporting Park.
“Embarking on this opportunity with a fellow homegrown company and local students is exciting. Local partnerships are part of our DNA and very important to our organization,” said Jamie Guin, vice president of corporate partnerships for Sporting KC. “We are looking forward to making a lasting impact in the lives of area youth through sports and STEM. Both of our organizations have a vested interest in the role that science, technology, engineering and math play in our day-to-day business operations.”
The partnership with Sporting KC builds on Black and Veatch’s global STEM partnership with the Museum at Prairiefire in Overland Park, along with the company’s many existing mentoring programs, and will be leveraged to drive volunteer efforts at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City.
“Black and Veatch puts STEM initiatives at the center of our philanthropic and community involvement efforts globally. They are vitally important to secure the next generation of professionals who will solve the engineering challenges of energy, water and communications in the future,” said Becky Schieber, senior manager, charitable programs at Black and Veatch.