Dreams Grow in Brooklyn
He calls himself a mathematician. As a newly minted teenager, 13-year-old Jivonni presents his words with marked maturity. A native Brooklynite, Jivonni enjoys our afterschool program at Brooklyn Scholars Charter School located right inside his East New York neighborhood where he’s learning Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) — and so much more.
“The STEM class is a great opportunity for us to understand technology for those who want to take on that career choice. Afterall, technology has a big impact on our lives. No matter which job you choose we’re all going to be dealing with technology sooner or later,” Jivonni said before admitting that he prefers STEM over English language arts.
In addition to STEM, Jivonni has been on trips outside of NYC with his afterschool group. On one trip, his class visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C., which celebrates American history, culture and community through the African American experience. The younger of two children, Jivonni seems resolute about his career choice.
“I like games and I like entertaining people. It feels good just to make someone smile, so I would like to create something with technology and games like a game designer of some sort,” he shared.
We’re doing our best to make sure he can reach his goals. As much as we have advanced in STEM, there’s still a lack of representation of black people— especially in tech. The reasons for the low numbers are many, but near the top remains the fact that schools in the lowest income areas lack space, equipment, and resources. Do you know what happens when resources meet ambition? Communities prosper.