DIGITS Program Reached 20% of 6th Graders Last Year

Accomplishments

The DIGITS Project for opening middle-school minds to STEM released its 2012 annual report covering the last school year, highlighting these accomplishments:

  • Reached 14,004 students — 20% of the state’s Sixth graders
  • Involved 154 volunteers from 51 companies/organizations
  • Achieved significant increases in interest in math, knowledge of STEM careers, and retention of a key message about math (as measured 3-4 months later)
  • Expanded statewide, with pilots in Berkshire County and Springfield Public Schools
  • Increased recognition and partnerships due to endorsement by the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council’s @Scale program

In Newton, four volunteers from IBM, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and Millennium Pharmaceuticals presented to about 380 students at two middle schools, Oak Hill and Bigelow.  After the first of the year, DIGITS will begin signing up middle schools for the coming spring sessions.