SEM Link Awarded $10,000 STEM Grant from Jack and Jill of America Foundation

ATLANTA - June 19, 2018 - PRLog -- Atlanta, GA- Science, Engineering and Mathematics Link Inc. (SEM Link) received an independent STEM grant from the Jack and Jill of America Foundation, Inc. for the 2018-2019 funding year; this is the second consecutive year that SEM Link has received funding from the foundation. The $10,000 award is one of the foundation's Hidden Talent Grants in support of educational philanthropy. These grants focus on preparing and propelling a pipeline of talented, college-ready youth in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The grant funds the "Mentorship: A Tool for Preparing High School Students for STEM Careers". Through its two core programs, Experimental Design Program and Math and Science Career Academy, SEM Link will make a targeted effort to engage high school students are from populations underrepresented in STEM. This will enhance the work that schools are doing to ensure that students are college and career ready to pursue STEM careers.

The grant funds will support program activities in both of SEM Link's two core programs, Experimental Design Program and Math and Science Career Academy. In the Experimental Design Program, the funding will support the Experimental Design Mentoring Program which prepares high school students for STEM fairs. The Math and Science Career Academy programs the funding will support are the Atlanta Teen Science Café and SEM Link's signature event the STEM Career Fair and Exhibition, which will take place in the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) in October 2018 and in Atlanta in April 2019. Finally, the funding will support field trips for Atlanta high schools students to visit the work sites of SEM Link's corporate partners.  "SEM Link is grateful to the Jack and Jill Foundation for providing us with funding for a second year to focus on programming for teens of color; in particular African American youth. Representation truly matters when students are considering their post-secondary opportunities. We want to prepare youth, especially those that from populations that are underrepresented in STEM, for a collegeand career by providing them with positive adult role models that look like them in the STEM fields," expressed Ms. Tokiwa T. Smith SEM Link Founder and Executive Director.

About SEM Link

Science, Engineering and Mathematics Link, Inc. (SEM Link), a tax-exempt national nonprofit organization, founded in 2005 by Ms. Tokiwa T. Smith in Atlanta, Georgia on the premise that exposure to members of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) communities is critical to student achievement and career exploration in math and science.  Our two core programs, Experimental Design Program and Math and Science Career Academy, enhance the STEM educational experience for K-12 students by providing them with opportunities to engage in hands-on STEM activities, explore STEM careers and learn about real-world applications of STEM. Since our inception we have served thousands of youth in Atlanta, the San Francisco Bay Area and the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia). SEM Link currently offers program in Atlanta and the DMV.  Like SEM Link on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/semlinkinc) and follow @semlink on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/semlink) or @semlink on Instagram (http://instagram.com/semlink). For more information about SEM Link visit our website at www.semsuccess.org or email us at info@semsuccess.org.

About Jack and Jill Foundation

The Jack and Jill of America Foundation has been instrumental since 1968 in supporting community based organizations that help children and families.  The Foundation, which is based in Washington, D.C., has distributed over $3 million dollars to non-profit organizations all across America, and continues to deepen its vision with Jack and Jill of America, Inc. as the needs of families and children become more complex in the 21^st century. As the philanthropic arm of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Jack and Jill Foundation addresses issues affecting African American children and families, by investing in programs and services that create a strong foundation for children to thrive long-term. Jack and Jill Foundation transforms African-American communities, one child at a time. For more information about the Jack and Jill Foundation visit their website, www.jackandjillfoundation.org

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