Digi-Bridge

Please join us in welcoming Samantha Kowert, MBA as our new Vice President of Advancement! Samantha joined our team last week and we are thrilled to have her working with us. She'll serve as a strategic leader for our team overseeing all aspects of fundraising and donor engagement to drive forward our mission. Samantha brings more than a decade of experience in leading fundraising initiatives and strategic planning. She's previously served in development leadership roles for the South Carolina Aquarium, the Anne Springs Close Greenway, United Way of Greater Charlotte, and Blumenthal Arts. "It's an honor to be a part of an organization that sparks the flame of inspiration within Charlotte's students," Samantha told us. "I am excited to drive support for programs that will empower the next generation of leaders and creative thinkers to tackle our world's greatest challenges." We're thrilled to have you on the team! Welcome, Samantha! 

We are so thrilled to say as of this week we have 688 students enrolled in STEAMLab programs across our 24 sites in Charlotte! We're thrilled so many K-8 graders are getting involved in out-of-school programming focused on science, technology, engineering, art and math. Of course, a big thank you to our many partner schools and the teachers who lead these STEAMLabs, making them such exciting, fun spaces for kids to explore and learn.

You won't want to miss this!

Join us for our next Digi-Bytes session happening on Nov. 15! Our Digi-Bytes events are designed to get you connected to our mission as well as others in Charlotte who are passionate about education. We provide a light lunch for attendees and then give them a tour around our office so they can learn more about our programming the the difference fun STEAM education is making in Charlotte schools. This is free to attend - just head here to register: https://lnkd.in/gARWjydT

As we near the end of #CyberSecurityAwarenessMonth we want to take a moment to highlight one of our cybersecurity role models, Melody Sherer! Melody works at Bank of America on their cybersecurity team. She joined the global information security team shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and works in applying security controls to know what access employees have and what they can do with that access. Her proudest achievement in her career was working on the automation and implementation of online banking electronic check captures for deposits. She encourages everyone to keep their private information safe, secure and protected. We asked her for any tips for students interested in a career in cybersecurity: "Work hard in school, make good grades, inquire with your school councilor about college funding and grants, set your goals, most importantly, believe in yourself." She also brought up Bank of America's summer internship program for college students. Be sure to visit their website to learn more if you're interested!

Yesterday we talked about strong passwords, but today we're sharing another easy way to block cybercrime attacks: using 2-factor authentication. Our friends at Bank of America are reminding us for #CyberSecurityAwarenessMonth that turning on a 2-factor authentication for websites can help prevent the majority of cybercrime. This is pretty simple for most websites - simply opt in when they ask!

A big thank you to our partners at Bank of America for reminding us how simple it can be to prevent cybercrime attacks! A strong password can make all the difference. A few extra tips to make sure your password is strong:  Use at least 12 characters, but 14 or more is best.  Mix in symbols, numbers and upper and lowercase letters.  Use a memorable phrase, but one that will be difficult for others to guess.

It's #CyberSecurityAwarenessMonth! Thanks to our partners at Bank of America we'll be sharing 3 cybersecurity facts with you this week to help you learn more about how you can combat cybercrime. First up: cybercrime is not a crime that happens in a vacuum. It has a real cost that is increasing every year. Taking precautions to ensure you are not a victim of cybercrime can help save you money!

Scenes from our STEAMLab facilitator training a few weeks ago! We're so excited to say we have over 60 STEAMLab teachers helping us connect students at schools throughout Charlotte with out of school STEAM programming. During the training we make sure we give teachers the tools they need to successfully run a STEAMLab at their school. We had a 98% 4 or 5 star rating from teachers who attended, which we are very proud of. Each year our STEAMLab programming gets bigger and better, and we can't wait to see what's to come!

Last week students participating in our Environmental Education Initiative had the chance to visit Sullenberger Aviation Museum! This was part of their first unit in the collaborative learning experience focused on fossil fuels and environmental sustainability. These 20 middle schoolers had a blast meeting experts and getting hands-on learning experiences! As we continue on with this initiative, students will engage in hands-on projects, field trips, and mentorship opportunities while exploring key themes in the curriculum. The first unit, Fossil Fuels & Environmental Sustainability, examines the impacts of fossil fuels and sustainable alternatives. The second unit, Clean Energy Solutions, highlights innovative energy sources to combat climate change. The third unit, Urban Solutions, addresses sustainability challenges in urban areas and explores strategies for greener cities. The program culminates in a Capstone Project, where students apply their learning to real-world environmental issues in their communities. This initiative aims to cultivate a new generation of environmental citizens who are knowledgeable and motivated to take action. Participants will discover potential career paths in environmental fields and develop a personal ethos that prioritizes sustainability in their daily lives. Ultimately, this program aspires to create a pipeline of future environmental leaders ready to drive positive change at local, national, and global levels. We can't wait to see what these students do next!