Boston Public Schools and HubWeek: Strategic Initiative
Though Boston is the original tech city and still has one of the largest tech economies in the country, diversity remains a major issue in the industry with minorities very underrepresented. This distribution is in stark contrast to the very diverse student population of Boston Public Schools (BPS).
FMRA was asked to design a program for BPS to address this representation gap. To encourage student success in the industry, it was critical to build a bridge between the diverse BPS population and majority-white technology industry. BPS x HubWeek engaged Boston Public School students and teachers with a variety of learning formats: mobile classrooms, professional development courses, student workshops, and a HubWeek conference event.
GOALS
Expose students and teachers from Boston Public Schools to environments and experiences in tech to bridge the gap between the majority-white demographic of the industry and the diverse demographics of Boston Public Schools
Partner with HubWeek to bring the tech economy to local school communities.
Develop partnerships between schools and tech companies.
PROCESS
Expose: Expose our students and teachers to the tech and innovation economy of Boston
Connect: Connect our corporate partners and school communities where they are (out in their neighborhoods)
Curate: Curate a conversation between BPS students, teachers and corporate partners about how to make tech and innovation more inclusive and diverse
Collaborate: Foster collaboration between our corporate partners and school communities through technical and resource support, professional development, student internships, and more
ABOUT:
Boston Public Schools is a school district serving the city of Boston, Massachusetts.
HubWeek (now Manifest Boston) was an annual innovation festival founded by The Boston Globe, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and MIT.