This browser does not support the Video element.
STEM program in St. Pete earns founder national award
Kelly Ring reports
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Elementary school teacher Rafael Robinson has won a lot of awards, but he is most proud of his work giving kids an education in STEM subjects. How Rafael is bridging the educational gap in South St. Petersburg is what's right with Tampa Bay.
Once a month, you can find students learning the importance of a STEM education at Childs Park Recreation Center in South St. Pete.
"STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. So it encompasses a lot of different things, a lot of different subjects," Rafael Robinson, CEO and co-founder AEDI Foundation said. "But the key to this is to be able to give kids an opportunity to understand how the world works around them and how STEM is a part of their everyday life."
To help students achieve STEM excellence, Robinson started the program in 2019 called AEDI, which stands for Achieving Engineering Driven Innovation.
"Being a bridge, so to say, or a vehicle that will allow the kids to that will allow the kids to be able to come in and get their opportunities to be engulfed with STEM education is exactly what the ADEI Foundation sets out to do," said Robinson.
It's opening up young minds to a new future like, 13-year-old Alyrah Johnson.
"We learn chemistry and problem-solving, how to build structures and use virtual reality to see how different things work," Alyrah said.
Four stations are set up to teach the kids about structural engineering,
"If you think about the way the world works and how technology is so pervasive in, it's ever evolving and changing, the kids have to be able to keep up with that. Right now, the U.S. is falling behind," explained Robinson.
He's hoping to help the U.S. catch up.
"This what I feel like is a way to help close the achievement gap, to also help close the wealth gap, but give kids an opportunity to get off of the video games and to get their hands and minds on learning," Robinson said.
Robinson's hard work has not gone unnoticed. He was selected as Douglas Jamerson Elementary School's Teacher of the Year and recently was chosen to be a part of the Heroes of s Thousand Faces, which highlights 1,000 African American men across the country who are impacting their community positively.
"I couldn't even believe it because I never really thought of myself as a hero," said Robinson.
A hero that is opening up a world of discovery for children to enjoy and learn.