the project
This robotic project is part of the Inner City Foundation of New York’s (ICFNY) College Readiness Initiative (CRI); a college preparatory program for at-risk students in New York City that is dedicated to empowering them through exposure to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) education. The program begins with sixth graders and will continue to engage students through college.
The initial stage of ICFNY's robotics initiative will be affiliated with Sphero’s SPRK (Schools, Parents, Robots, Kids) program.
The students under the auspices of CRI are amazing, hardworking kids who love learning. They have been involved in comprehensive learning of English Composition, math, science, and chess since March 2015. Because robot learning will be new to our students, they are very excited about this new project and ready to dive in. (The robotics program will consist of computerized and rocketry student teams with the goal of entering regional and national tournaments in three years.) However, help is needed to purchase software and computers for the students to help launch this new initiative.
A few years from now, many of our students will graduate from high school and enter college majoring in a STEAM field. They will remember their middle-school years when ICFNY introduced them to robotics education and the fun they had while learning. In their own way, the students will also thank you!
the steps
Immediately after the funds are raised, ICFNY will announce the achievement on our ioby platform. Thereafter, we will have a Sphero Day Kickoff for parents and students. After the purchase of laptop computers and Sphero’s SPRK software, the afterschool Sphero Day program will begin with 6-10 students. The program will be once a week and develop into two Saturdays a month as demand increases.
To keep all of our generous donors informed of the developments related to the Sphero Day afterschool program, ICFNY will design an e-newsletter that will be emailed periodically.
The successful raising of funds on ioby will give ICFNY leverage when we seek to raise funds from foundations and corporations for the expansion of the robotics program.
why we're doing it
Robot learning and college readiness support in low-income communities of New York City is important. For example, according to the Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness, Bedford Stuyvesant’s school District 16 (where most of our current students live) and Brownville’s District 23 were the top two schools districts in Brooklyn during school year 2014-15 with homeless students, which contributed to lower test scores and higher dropout rates in those neighborhoods.
While advocacy for teaching computer science to students has grown in recent years, data has confirmed that low-income high school seniors are less likely to have access to this important learning than high-income students in the same grade.
ICFNY’s robotics program will allow underserved students to become acquainted with robotic and digital technology learning for the first time.
Given the above dire statistics and educational disparities, the need for a comprehensive and fun robotics undertaking in Central Brooklyn is great.
For additional information on ICFNY, please visit our website at www.icfnyinc.org. Thank you!
budget
Close out Budget: Purchase 2 Sphero SPRK Ultimate packs for ICFNY's robotic program.
| SUBTOTAL = | $275 |
| ioby Platform Fee | Waived |
| ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) | Waived |
| TOTAL TO RAISE = | $275 |
Original Budget
$1,750. The total is based on one computer tablet for students ($500);
expense toward one 3D printer ($500); and, Sphero SPRK Ultimate Packs for
the students ($750).
| SUBTOTAL = | $1,750 |
| ioby Platform Fee | Waived |
| ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) | Waived |
| TOTAL TO RAISE = | $1,750 |
updates
Sorry, but this project doesn't have any updates yet.
photos
This is where photos will go once we build flickr integrationdonors
-
Benjamin Shepherd
-
simafamilant
-
Anonymous
