NSBE AWFE
On February 27th, the NSBE Professional Chapter of Memphis hosted the NSBE AWFE (A Walk For Education) community outreach event at the historical Orange Mound Community Center.
A Walk for Education, established in 2002, is an annual program held in many cities across the country. This program is part of an international effort by NSBE to increase the pipeline of qualified minorities into STEM disciplines.
The purpose of AWFE is to increase awareness of the opportunities available through education, particularly in the STEM fields, and to increase African American participation in math, science, engineering, and other technological careers. This is a grassroots effort in which NSBE members walk door-to-door in an underserved community and disseminate information about post-secondary educational opportunities in the area, scholarships, SAT/ACT preparation, NSBE, GED programs, enrollment/acceptance information for local colleges, financial aid applications, and the benefits of majoring in STEM disciplines.
This year, the first annual AWFE Memphis, sponsored by AllWorld Project Management, took place in the Orange Mound community. NSBE members and volunteers walked through this community from 9:30AM to noon, handing out educational materials and brand new backpacks to students who were interested in engineering and sciences. Following the walk, students, families, and neighbors were invited to the Orange Mound Community Center for a complimentary lunch and college fair. Students in 3rd through 12th grades had the opportunity to speak with local engineers and engage in hands-on engineering activities.
From the University of Memphis NSBE Chapter, David Oppong (Engineering Council Liaison), Rachel Alexander (Treasurer), Lara Bollock (Vice President), and I (Public Relations Chair), volunteered at the event. General members of NSBE, Aaliyah Jatta (Civil Engineering Major), and William Ray Ross (Engineering Technology Major), also took time out to volunteer and support the cause by help setting up tables, serving food, and walking in the neighborhoods, passing out pamphlets and other valuable information about STEM programs.
At the event, there were demonstrations performed by different student organizations from the University of Memphis. The Society of Physics Students did a demonstration based on inertia. The Biomedical Engineering Society/ Society For Biomaterials did a demonstration involving alginate hydrogel. The Society of Automotive Engineers brought their Tiger Baja Car, assembled it, and let the young children took a spin on it (with adult supervision of course). My advisor, Kriangsiri Malasri (also known as Top), did a demonstration where he taught the audience how to create an app.
The event went really well and everyone had lots of fun! It is always nice to give back to the community.
Here are some pics from the event:
That is Ken Moody, the Keynote Speaker for the NSBE AWFE event. Ken Moody currently serves as a Special Assistant to Mayor Strickland. Moody earned an Associate’s Degree in Computer Science from Connors State College. He then earned a BA in Sociology from Memphis State University, where he was also a member of the men’s basketball team. He went on to earn an Executive MBA from the University of Memphis.
Here is the President of the NSBE Professional Chapter of Memphis, John Brito, giving an award to Mr. Moody for his outstanding dedication to improving the City of Memphis.
Here is my friend, Kevin Williams (Computer Science Major) and I, representing the medical device startup, 1Body Medical (which I will explain in a future post).
The Grizzlies Grannies and Grandpas delivered an exciting performance at the 2016 AWFE Memphis. This energetic bunch of ladies and gentlemen are over fifty and are still rocking and rolling! The Grizzlies Grannies and Grandpas entertain fans at Grizzlies home games like no other group can.
This is Dr. Reginald Archer from Tennessee State University. He is the National Professionals Region III Chair of NSBE. He was at the AWFE event and thought it was a unique way to give back to the community.
Overall, I enjoyed myself and I liked spending time with the NSBE Professionals of Memphis. They sure are a fun group to be around.
Remember, future STEM majors! It is always good to volunteer and help out your community! You never know what kind of people you will meet or what good opportunities it can give you! But the most important thing is the satisfaction of making others feel content. Seeing other people smile makes me smile and I am always willing to volunteer whenever I have the free time.
Hope you all enjoyed reading this post.
-Herve Aniglo