By Monday, February 26, 2018
The Big Apple, Home To Holocaust Museum, 9/11 Museum & The South Bronx, Will Be Piloting An Innovative School of Tomorrow, STEMDUP ACADEMY, to counter violence from hatred, extremism, and extreme poverty in the Bronx.
Bronx, New York- The alarming rise in violent attacks on innocent individuals by domestic and transnational terrorists and hate groups who promote racial, ethnic and religious segregation coupled with widening socioeconomic gaps in New York City and beyond, calls for an innovative educational approach; smart schools of tomorrow. Schools equipped to permanently counter the persistence of homophobia, anti-Semitism, misogyny, islamophobia, and extremism; while embracing the beauty of diversity and peaceful coexistence among all. That school is STEMDUP ACADEMY {science, technology, engineering, mathematics, diversity, unity, and peace}.
A call for integrating Diversity, Unity and Peace into the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Program.
Background:
When laying down the foundation for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program, President Barack Obama said “Science is more than a school subject, or the periodic table or the properties of waves. It is an approach to the world, a critical way to understand and explore and engage with the world, and then have the capacity to change that world.”
President Obama’s statement has inspired the STEM program to be an education for global leadership. Motivated by President Obama’s statement coupled with its extensive experience with peace and diversity issues, the Adopt-A-Friend, Inc. is announcing the launch of a pilot program that integrates the tenets of diversity, unity and peace into STEM. If STEM is an approach to the world as President Obama asserts, a critical way to understand, explore and engage with the world, then STEMEDUP must exist to include diversity, unity and peace education into the mushrooming STEM program.
Adopt-A-Friend, Inc., founded in June 2004, post September 11, 2001 at the time when the hateful, violent extremists flew planes into the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York City, is the pioneering organization piloting this innovative STEMDUP program. In close consultation with its partners and other stakeholders, Adopt-A-Friend has been mobilizing resources to engage academic experts in the sciences and humanities to carry out the content analysis of the existing STEM program and identify areas where the diversity, unity and peace can be integrated.
“This innovative STEMDUP ACADEMY gives us the ability to build a ‘peace and prosperity’ curriculum that shall enable students to counter the trending violent extremism & hate crimes, and the unsustainable socioeconomic gaps being painfully experienced in New York City.” Said Shireena Drammeh, Principal & co-founder of Islamic Leadership School & a founding member of STEMDUP ACADEMY.
New York City is home to extreme have and have nots. No city in the nation has experienced the painful reality of extreme hatred (9/11 tragedy) in the midst of diversity and extreme poverty (The Bronx) surrounded by opulence. For example, a $90 million dollars home was recently bought in Manhattan blocks away from the South Bronx, one of the poorest residential neighborhoods in the nation.
“We can smart-invest in innovative schools of tomorrow such as STEMDUP ACADEMY or continue to wastefully spend in reacting to violent extremism and the effect of extreme poverty. In other word, we can peace it together in a fairer, more loving borough with highly qualified, diverse professional labor force. The goal is to reverse the Bronx brain and resource drainage. You born/live in the Bronx, you succeed in the Bronx.” Said Sheikh Musa Drammeh, Publisher of Muslim Community Report & co-founder of STEMDUP ACADEMY.
As a young Muslim girl born in the Bronx and started my first school day on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, it is my honor to continue the mission of my parents in eradicating extreme poverty, hatred, religious extremism and radicalization of young minds in my own religion because I understand its importance in today’s society. It is a privilege to be appointed founding STEMDUP ACADEMY coordinator.” Said Ameena J. Drammeh.
STEMDUP ACADEMY founders intent to work with elected officials, DOE, educators, peacemakers, philanthropists, religious and community leaders, and other stakeholders in making STEMDUP ACADEMY a success. They are planning to open in the Bronx, New York City in September 2019. “It’s easier to build strong children than to fix broken men.” Fredrick Douglas
You are cordially invited to attend a public press conference scheduled to articulate the aim of this initiative for potential parents and community stakeholders on Tuesday, March 6, 2018, 6:00-7:00 PM at Parkchester Public Library, 1985 Westchester Avenue, Bronx, New York 10462.
Contact: Ms. Ameena J Drammeh at: info@peacedecember.org. www.stemdupacademy.org
2152B Westchester Avenue, Bronx, New York 10462. Tel: 718-892-5555
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About Adopt-A-Friend, Inc.
Adopt-A-Friend, Inc., was founded in 2004 to promote education, public safety, prosperity, neighborliness, mentorship, social services, and peaceful coexistence among all residence in the Bronx and beyond. One of the successful programs it co-founded in 2010 is Peace December International (www.peacedecember.org).