Photo Courtesy of Mayoral Photography Office
Pfizer Inc. donated a $1.5 million grant to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City.
By Forum Staff
Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced a $1.5 million grant from Pfizer Inc. to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City — with funds earmarked for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) educational programs for middle and high school students.
Specifically, the $1.5 million grant will advance the goals of two STEM-related initiatives: Exploring Futures and College Now for Careers:
- Exploring Futures serves middle school students by helping them learn more about potential career paths and plan for success in the world of work. The grant will provide $750,000 over the course of three years and help expand the program to 15 additional schools, supporting educational opportunities for 750 students. Funds will support giving students access to Xello, an online platform for career exploration and planning; advance teacher training and professional development; develop additional curriculum; and engage partner organizations to provide STEM content and related enrichment.
- College Now for Careers — a partnership between the City Department of Education (DOE) and The City University of New York (CUNY) — enables City public high school students to earn college credits at CUNY by completing required courses for STEM majors. The grant will provide $675,000 over the course of three years, supporting as many as 1,000 students to benefit from the program.
Both Exploring Futures and College Now for Careers are initiatives that the Mayor’s Office of Youth Employment (MOYE), developed in support of the city’s goal of universal career readiness. Exploring Futures — launched in 2020 — currently operates in nine middle schools, serving 225 students in sixth through eighth grades. The program’s objectives include supporting youths to both explore potential careers and inform their high school selection process. College Now for Careers is a College Now initiative. College Now — a partnership of DOE and CUNY — is the country’s largest program enabling high school students to earn college credit. It serves over 20,000 students per year, giving them a leg up on college enrollment, persistence, and completion. College Now for Careers served 2,000 students in the school year 2021-2022 and will service another 1,000 students in the upcoming 2022-2023 year.
The nonprofit ExpandED — renowned for their innovative after-school and enrichment programming — is supporting the Mayor’s Fund, MOYE, DOE, and participating schools in managing the program.
“If we don’t educate, we incarcerate, and this generous grant will bolster STEM educational programs to give our middle and high school students the ability to thrive in life by giving them the opportunity to explore careers many never thought possible. Supporting our youth is a win for us all — giving them the chance to learn new skills and create innovative change that will move our city forward. These programs will help ensure their future is that much brighter and secure, and I thank Pfizer for helping put our city’s students first,” Adams said.
“What our children can achieve is unlimited if we help activate their passion and purpose. I am proud to see this administration take strides towards the bright North Star that is long-term economic security and real career-connected learning pathways for all our students,” added City Schools Chancellor David Banks.
