ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The St. Pete Housing Authority has a new grant-funded program aimed at introducing cutting-edge technology to children living in housing authority communities.
What You Need To Know
The St. Pete Housing Authority has a new grant-funded program aimed at introducing cutting-edge technology to children living in housing authority communities
It’s being paid for with $740,860 from the Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to launch the Gulf Futures 3D project.
The program kicked off with students exploring how to connect science, technology, engineering and math in their own backyard.
The program kicked off with students exploring how to connect science, technology, engineering and math in their own backyard.
The kids started with a lesson in underwater exploration at the Discovery Center and wet classroom at the St. Pete Pier, followed by a boat ride to see what they learned about.
For many of the kids, this was their first time seeing the Bay on a boat.
“I never been on a boat before, so I wanted to come,” said 10-year-old Sirmajesty Boone. “I want to go to the moon.”
Boone has dreams of becoming an astronaut, but today he focused on underwater exploration. He also got to see dolphins for the first time, different types of fish and the birds on Bird Island.
Boone said this trip was an easy yes, just like it was for 13-year-old Lee’Mariya McCray, who is planning to be a veterinarian.
“It’s a fun experience,” she said. “We seen dolphins, we seen fishes, we seen frogs, we seen a lot of animals. We got to experience water. We got to experience a boat.”
This is what St. Pete Housing Authority, Education and Innovation Specialist, Amiya Sloan, said this kind of field trip is all about.
“They just get exposure to things they haven’t gotten exposed to, especially in regards to STEM learning that they may not get in their school curriculum and understanding that Black faces can be in green spaces, green careers and this is something that applies to them,” she said.
Sloan is one of the instructors working with the St. Pete Housing Authority, working on a program that’s bringing in 3D technology, scientific exploration, and helping the kids build confidence while exploring new career paths.
It’s being paid for with $740,860 from the Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to launch the Gulf Futures 3D project.
Kiara Lovett is the St. Pete Housing Authority Director of Social Services. She said this is part of the work the housing authority is doing for its young residents. “The goal of the grant is to connect environmental sciences to STEM,” she said. “So how can the youth take ownership and pride in their own communities and 3-D modeling and exploring their waterways, etc.”
Lovett said the three-year program is available for children who live in one of the St. Pete Housing Authority properties, where the average median income is under 30% and communities are often overlooked.
“Our kids are underserved and underprivileged, but they have the greatest minds, and they can be anything in this world they want to be and that’s most importantly what I want them to know,” Lovett said.
The Gulf Futures 3D project will establish 3D technology labs within SPHA communities, providing a transformative way to engage youth in scientific exploration.
Equipped with 3D printers, virtual reality goggles, and 3D scanners, participants will use 3D technology to address real-world socio-environmental challenges in the Gulf of Mexico region. The program will prepare youth for 21st-century careers while empowering them to design sustainable solutions for their communities.