Our First Workshop: #CollegeExplosion!

I am beyond excited to announce that BGLS hosted their very first workshop in April for College Explosion at NC State University! Not only did we have a lot of fun, but we got a chance to network with other STEMers on campus, collaborate with bright future scholars, and contribute to a lasting impact in the community!

What is College Explosion?: “College Explosion is a student-led college exposure event which sought to give at-risk youth a first-hand view into the college experience. Students were not only exposed to aspects of university life, but immersed. Specifically, College Explosion provided information regarding academic majors, extracurricular engagement opportunities, academic preparation for college admission, information about NC State University admissions requirements, financial aid resources, and one-on-one conversation opportunities with undergraduates, faculty, and staff. At it’s basic element, College Explosion sought to immerse attendees in the college experience and really attempted to answer the question, ‘Why should I think about going to college?’ Our goal was to attack disparities that often plague children from underrepresented groups, including the lack of factual information about college admissions requirements and financial aid resources. The major cornerstone of the event was to motivate low-income and minority youth to pursue post-secondary education through exposure to the college experience through representation of their cultural backgrounds and interests.” (College Explosion website)

Our Workshop: Brown Girls Love STEM collaborated with NC State’s Society of Multicultural Scientists (SMS) and chapter of National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) to create an academic workshop for the purpose of introducing #CollegeExplosion students to STEM and Accounting degrees. First, we asked students to introduce themselves and tell us what majors and careers they were interested in. I was excited to learn about everyone, as the students ranged from fifth to eleventh grade and were interested in everything from engineering to physics to chemistry. Next, we presented on what the various STEM and Accounting majors are, what it means and looks like to be a STEM or Accounting major, as well as gave insight on some of the difficult parts of being a STEM/Accounting major. Finally, we did a team building activity (shoutout to Ed Heads, @edheadsdotorg on twitter), which was playing an online simulation called “Build a Cell Phone.” Even though we ran into some technical difficulties (dead iPADs) and had to all work on one screen instead of in small groups, we still were able to complete the activity and as a team, got better results than when I completed the activity by myself (LOL!). By this time, our workshop was up and it was time for our #CollegeExplosion students to move onto their next experience.

In retrospect, this is an experience I would do all over again and wouldn’t change one bit. When I first learned about College Explosion, I was stunned by the intricacy of the entire event and couldn’t wait to help bring it to life in any way possible. I had an amazing time watching #CollegeExplosion grow and our workshop come together, and helping with the behind the scenes portions of it all. I can’t believe, even after the fact, that I would have the privilege to know an individual so bright and passionate to bring this together. Super special shout out to my brilliant, amazing, loving friend Janay Graham (and BGLS blog contributor) because all of this was her vision and I can not wait to help with all of the College Explosion’s to come.

Want to Learn More or Get involved?: If you want to learn more about #CollegeExplosion, you can:

Check out the College Explosion site, featuring an amazing playlist, pictures, and more information
Find out College Explosion creator, Janay Graham’s perspective in her blog post “The Beauty in the Struggle: Special Shoutout to the Supporters and Exec Team of College Explosion”
Check out the hashtag on Twitter: #CollegeExplosion