A new collaboration seeks to boost student pathways into healthcare and IT careers. eHBCU The first digital HBCU consortium in the U.S., eHBCU, was launched in July to ensure Black learners could obtain degrees, certifications, and mentorship, as well as expand their access to career pipelines, according to information shared with AFROTECH™. It launched with a coalition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), including P ensole Lewis College of Business & Design, D elaware State University, Southern University and A&M College (Baton Rouge, LA), Southern University at New Orleans, Southern University at Shreveport (LA), and Alabama State University. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, eHBCU launched with 10 undergraduate degrees, 13 graduate degrees, and 35 certification programs created with “employer input,” per a press release, to ensure students are equipped for the workforce. Areas of learning include criminal justice administration, psychology, health information...

Bowie State University (BSU) in Prince George’s County, MD, has received a nearly $1 million, three-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to launch the Computing Experiential Hub (CEH). According to a news release shared with AFROTECH™, the CEH combines classroom learning with real-world experience to prepare students for careers in AI and emerging technologies. The initiative will establish new partnerships with leading tech companies, startups, and entrepreneurial ventures — including IBM — to support its goal. “With the Computing Experiential Hub, BSU is taking a bold step to ensure our students are not just learning about artificial intelligence but actively applying it through real-world projects and industry partnerships,” Dr. Rose Shumba, who chairs the computer science department and serves as principal investigator for the CEH, said in the press release. Dr. Shumba added that the CEH will “expand diversity in the AI workforce and position BSU as a national...

Tiger Woods brought his commitment to education to West Philadelphia on Sept. 8 as he unveiled the Smilow Woodland TGR Learning Lab. The education center is part of a $150 million renovation of the historic Cobbs Creek Golf Course, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. Cobbs Creek Golf Club, which opened in 1916, was one of the first courses in the region to welcome golfers of all races. It was also the home course of Charlie Sifford, the first Black golfer to earn a PGA Tour card, per the Philadelphia Business Journal. Woods, who calls Sifford “the grandfather he never had,” even named his son Charlie in his honor. The 30,000-square-foot facility, a collaboration between the TGR Foundation, the Cobbs Creek Foundation, and the Smilow Foundation, is designed to do far more than teach golf. Students from grades one through 12 will have free, year-round access to programs in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math, along with college prep and career readiness...

Shadeira Nesmith is helping youth break into STEAM fields. The software development instructor and Caldwell University graduate has taught since 2018 at institutions such as the Library Science Center, Black Girls Code, and Coding Black Females. Nesmith shared with AFROTECH™ that her foray as a Black woman in tech was molded by opportunities and challenges. “I’ve often been one of the few people who look like me in certain spaces, which has pushed me to not only grow but also to lead with purpose. Being a tech educator has shown me how eager people are to learn from me and how excited they are to see what’s possible for themselves. This has changed how I lead and create,” Nesmith said. Stacked Up Academy In 2021, she established Stacked Up Academy, which, as its website mentions, energizes K-12 interest in computer science, graphic design, and financial literacy through custom curricula, workshops, and educational products. The organization aims to increase participation among...

Ten-year-old Sean Atitsogbe is a genius. With an IQ similar to Albert Einstein’s, Atitsogbe already understands concepts such as neuroplasticity, cryogenics and psychoneuroimmunology. He even created his own theory , the Graviton Quantum Sponge, which he explained in an interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and CNN. “It describes the origins of the universe and tries to unify quantum mechanics and relativity. It basically says that the universe has little holes in it. These holes represent dimensions, and it’s still a work in progress. So any physicists out there don’t get any bright ideas,” he told the outlet. Learning has always been fun for Atitsogbe. In his interview with Dr. Gupta he compared it to the scale of how most children view video games. His love for learning sparked his curiosity about the world of science. Furthermore, Atitsogbe’s intelligence showed when he was just nine months old, and by age three, his mother had already enrolled him in High Achievers Education Center...

A program is underway to grow the number of Black women in the clean energy sector. Diamond Spratling, founder of Girl + Environment, is a climate and social justice leader who has made tackling environmental issues her life’s work. Much of her work focuses specifically on how environmental injustice disproportionately impacts Black, brown, and Indigenous communities. Spratling herself was impacted by a BioLab explosion while residing in Atlanta. According to The Bitter Southerner, Spratling’s upbringing in industrial Detroit and Southwest Atlanta has familiarized her with how industry, environment, and public health affect the quality of life for people of color. In 2019, she examined environmental policies and recognized that Black women’s participation was lacking, according to Essence. “Why weren’t we in these rooms?” Spratling questioned, per Essence. Girl + Environment That same year, Spratling launched Girl + Environment, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free resources and...

Federal funding for Tuskegee University (TU) has created a historic opportunity for one of its students. In 2024, the HBCU received $6.7 million in federal funding to launch a flight program that would establish a bachelor’s degree in aviation science, according to AL.com. The program offers training in aerodynamics, aircraft structures and meteorology, AL.com reports. The program also incorporates hands-on education, including flight training, to prepare students for private and commercial pilot certificates. “This program will create opportunities for young aviators who dream of spending their lives soaring through the skies — here and around the world,” Charlotte P. Morris, former president of Tuskegee University, said in a 2024 news release, according to AL.com. The outlet also notes that the school hopes to honor and continue the excellence of the Tuskegee Airmen, who fought in World War II and made history as the first Black flying units in the U.S. military. According to the...

Adult learners in Roanoke, VA, are getting a second chance. According to a news release shared with AFROTECH™, history was made on Aug. 25 with the opening of The Excel Center, the first adult high school in the state. The Excel Center, operated by the Goodwill Industries of the Valleys , is a tuition-free, accredited high school that allows adults to earn a high school diploma, not a GED, as its website states. The Roanoke location aims to address poverty in the area. The center will offer Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses that prepare students with hands-on training and skills applicable to industry-wide jobs, according to its website. “A high school diploma is more than a piece of paper; it opens doors to jobs, future education, and life opportunities,” said Kelley Weems, senior director of community impact at Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, in a news release. Weems added that The Excel Center will support its students by offering childcare, transportation, life...

Ten-year-old Sean Atitsogbe has always had a love for learning. In an interview with CNN, Atitsogbe, who adopted the nickname “Sean the Science Kid,”  joked that he started learning in his mother’s womb. For him, learning is a form of entertainment, similar to how most kids view video games. “I have a gravitational attraction towards learning,” the Lilburn, GA native told CNN. In the CNN interview, Atitsogbe revealed that at his parents recognized he was gifted when he was 9 months old after he read a sign for the apparel store, Carter’s, during a family outing. By age 3, h is mother enrolled him in High Achievers Education Center Inc. (HAEC), where he quickly advanced to second grade. According to the school’s website, its curriculum — which encourages critical thinking, collaboration and real-world application — includes English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. “After being turned away by three schools, we finally found Dr. Nadra Powell at HAEC, who...

Rep. Ro Khanna of California is on a mission to connect students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with high-paying tech jobs at leading Silicon Valley companies. According to WLBT Channel 3 News, Khanna has partnered with Jackson State University (JSU) in Jackson, MS, to ensure that Black Southerners are included in the digital revolution — particularly in AI and advanced technology fields. “There are ambitious students at our HBCUs, but we need to provide the capital to them so that they can realize their dreams,” Khanna said, WLBT reported. “I represent Silicon Valley – $14 trillion of market value. I’ve got Apple, Google , Tesla, Nvidia, and Broadcom – all trillion dollar companies in my district,” he added. “And we need to create opportunities for the Black South to have high-paying technology jobs.” On Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, Khanna spoke at the Smith Robertson Museum to highlight TechWise, a Google-funded workforce program he is currently helping to...

Walter Royal III, M.D., has been appointed to a first-of-its-kind role at Morgan State University. The Baltimore native, who holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Harvard University and a doctor of medicine degree from Dartmouth Medical School, has over 30 years of leadership, clinical, and research experience in neurovirology, neuroimmunology, and multiple sclerosis, according to a news release. He has also carved out time to mentor the next generation, playing a vital role in their stepping stones into academic and clinical careers. Dr. Royal’s career trajectory as a neurologist includes tenure at Morehouse School of Medicine. He served as chair of the Department of Neurobiology and director of the Neuroscience Institute. Furthermore, he was associate executive director of the Center for Visual and Neurorehabilitation Research at the Veterans Administration (VA), leading key research. Dr. Royal’s posts also include: Johns Hopkins University University of Maryland VA...

Dr. Valerie Camille Jones Ford, an educator with over 25 years of dedicated service, was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame on June 20, becoming only the sixth Black woman to receive the honor. The induction joins a long list of accolades, including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching, recognition in the U.S. Congressional Record by the late Rep. John Lewis, and multiple honors from President Barack Obama for her work advancing equity and excellence in education. As a Black female leader in STEM education , Jones Ford is committed to using her platform to inspire underrepresented students to pursue similar paths. “I’m incredibly proud to be among such amazing educators, but it lets me know there’s still work to be done as far as bringing recognition, because I know there are so many teachers of color who deserve this platform,” Jones Ford told AFROTECH™. She said that she wanted to use her platform to share her experience and to bring...

Innovative learning labs are being planted in southern underresourced cities to combat the digital divide. Ed Farm Launched in February 2020, Ed Farm, with the support of Apple and the Alabama Power Foundation, works to reach students, teachers and the workforce with the goal of establishing an epicenter for education technology, Ed Farm President Waymond Jackson told AFROTECH™ during the Future of Learning Summit 2025 on June 5. Photo Credit: Samantha Dorisca The organization initially focused on the Birmingham, AL area, launching with a partnership with Birmingham City Schools before expanding to Montgomery Public Schools and Atlanta Public Schools by 2021. Today, its efforts have scaled to Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and California, per The Business Journals. The arrival of Ed Farm came just weeks before the pandemic. “We were just working with one school district, which was Birmingham City Schools. What I continue to tell my team was that we positioned to be a...

Kai Frazier took a bold leap by creating a metaverse learning platform, empowering elementary and middle schoolers as a way to invest in the future of learning. Kai XR Frazier founded Kai XR, described as a learning tool “bridging the gap between technology and access for all students,” according to its website. She became convinced that the solution lies in technology, particularly Extended Reality (XR). Frazier visited Stanford, located just 30 minutes from Oakland , CA, where she gained insights from its Virtual Human Interaction Lab (VHIL), which, according to its website, examines the psychological and behavioral effects of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). “That’s where all of the XR technology and the research is happening,” Frazier told AFROTECH™ at ED Farm’s Future of Learning Summit 2025. Photo Credit: Kai XR Frazier has a passion for history that has translated into a background in education spanning over two decades. She began her career as a teacher...

Award-winning cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson is inspiring the next generation. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Robinson is making an imprint within his industry through his career trajectory, which includes contributions to skin care at Rhode, a lifestyle beauty brand founded by Hailey Bieber that was recently acquired by e.l.f. Beauty for $1 billion. “Proud day for science. Hailey, Michael @ratty Lauren @laurenratner and the entire @rhode team – Thank you for bringing us on as partners from the very beginning,” he expressed on Instagram. “While some may have experts just for marketing, you truly leaned into the science and allowed us to be part of the team. Because of you, brands have taken notice and now value the need for science-led formulations. This has been the journey of a lifetime and we are proud to be a part of it.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ron Robinson (@ronrobinsoncosmeticchemist) Partnership With Girls In STEM Beyond his work at Rhode, Robinson is...