If you are interested in hearing Mel Bride, or any of our dynamic presenters speak during our National Conference this summer from July 28 to July 30 at Boston College, registration is open until April 26th. Click here to learn important information related to registration, lodging, and presentation topics.
We would be honored to have you join us as we celebrate our 10th Anniversary of building A Legacy of Equity Through Education.
We are excited to announce Paul Willis as our Keynote Speaker for the 2024 NMC National Conference! Paul is native to the Boston area and attended Nativity Preparatory School in Boston.
Paul Willis is a creative professional with ties to youth-focused, arts, education and social justice nonprofits include starting up City Year Sacramento, leading programming for MLK365, providing leadership and executive coaching for the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program, and serving as an executive board member at Sol Collective, a nonprofit focused on art, culture and activism. A talented Hip Hop teaching artist with experience as a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant, Paul brings a brand of community and corporate leadership back to his hometown. Most recently, Paul was the Managing Director of the Boston Art & Music Soul Fest, and he is looking forward to the next step of his nearly 20-year professional career in the arts, education, leadership development and social justice driven organizations, which has provided him a unique lens to see the world and shape it.
Paul has always had a heart for empowering youth and serving the communities in which he lives. While in college, Paul coached basketball and tutored at the Worcester Intramural Sports Program. He also taught at a summer camp at Boston Nativity. No matter how far away his work takes him he shared that “I always come back to Boston Nativity.”
Come join us at the 2024 NMC National Conference as we celebrate 10 years of building A Legacy of Equity Through Education. Be inspired by Paul Willis’s story and be energized as he shares his craft with us. Click this link to get started.
Images courtesy of San Miguel Academy
Through a collaboration with PepsiCo and BrainCo, San Miguel Academy 8th graders recently completed a robotics project using NeuroMaker HAND kits to build and program prosthetic hands. PepsiCo and BrainCo also provided curriculum materials, instructor training, and support throughout the project.
BrainCo’s NeuroMaker HAND project is inspired by real-world prosthetic products. The project is designed to develop industry-specific skills and awareness by offering students exciting and immersive experiences in biomedical innovations, mechanical and electrical engineering, programming, and artificial intelligence.
The NeuroMaker HAND project aligns with San Miguel Academy’s STEAM-focused curriculum. Students worked in pairs to assemble over 130 pieces, creating a functional robotic hand. They then tested their hand models and engaged in friendly competitions for the accuracy and strength of their hand’s grip. Students also researched the growing field of prosthetics, exploring biomedical uses, engineering designs, and AI technology in prosthetics.
Images courtesy of San Miguel Academy
San Miguel Academy science teacher Effiong Eyo:
NeuroMaker HAND significantly enhances students’ learning experiences, providing an exciting hands-on project for students to see the practical applications of science concepts in solving real-world problems. Additionally, it promotes teamwork, patience, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills as students work through the various materials and steps required to complete the complex task of building a functional prosthetic hand prototype.
Images courtesy of San Miguel Academy
San Miguel Academy is grateful to Pepsico and BrainCo for supporting their interactive STEAM-focused approach that actively promotes career-ready skill development. The development of career-ready skills for the 21st-century marketplace is at the core of the San Miguel Academy curriculum and central to their mission to break the cycle of poverty through education.