This new, free program at Delaware Tech gets 8th and 9th graders excited about STEM

Stephanie Lewis-Montgomery didn’t set out to work for a STEM program. When she started at Delaware Technical Community College as an adjunct English instructor four years ago, it was an extension of her background in writing. It was there, she says, that “students awakened [her] interest in STEM careers.”
Today, she is the program manager for STEM Up Delaware, a youth program based at Delaware Tech’s George Campus in Wilmington. STEM Up Delaware offers resources such as tutoring, monthly and summer academies, job shadowing, mentoring and volunteer opportunities for eighth and ninth graders interested in pursuing careers in healthcare, medicine or other STEM-based careers. The program is free for qualifying minority and underserved students in New Castle County.
The hands-on experience not only aims to prepares them for a successful post-secondary education, it encourages them to follow their dreams. Lewis-Montgomery’s advice for young people just starting out is less about science and more about passion: “Follow your heart regarding your career path,” she said she tells her students. “Do something you love to do and that keeps you motivated.”
STEM, to Lewis-Montgomery, means “endless possibilities.” That’s a pretty strong motivator.
For more about STEM Up Delaware and other youth programs at Delaware Tech, check out its site here.