On August 16, 2023, thirteen high school students graduated from Crispus Attucks’ Codorus Corridor Summer Enrichment Program.
During this six-week program, students met with several York County business leaders to engage in hands-on learning opportunities. Each week, they examined improvement strategies for the Codorus corridor while being introduced to workforce development opportunities in architecture, engineering, and environmental sciences.
According to the National Organization of Minority Architects, African Americans account for 14.4 percent of the total U.S. population, but only 2 percent of licensed architects are African American. Among that 2 percent, less than two-tenths of a percent are women.
Black and Hispanic communities have historically been absent from science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields due to several factors, including lack of access to higher education. “When you’re from the lower-income areas of the city, you don’t typically feel like you have ownership or an understanding of what’s being developed,” shared Montika Smith, a recent graduate of the program.
Crispus Attucks Summer Enrichment Program seeks to change this statistic with field trips like the one we tagged along to at York Water Company’s Lake Williams Dam Project. To learn about the state-of-the-art technology being utilized for this project, students met with engineers working on the construction of the new dam. Steve Metzler, Senior Engineering Project Manager explained why it was important to understand the environmental impact of developments like this and how the new pumping stations and shut-off valves will prevent damage to natural wildlife habitats, while providing safe drinking water to local residents.
“The Codorus Creek Summer Enrichment Program provided exposure and access to careers that students of color may have otherwise overlooked,” shared Barry Freeland, Director of Crispus Attucks’ Center for Employment and Training. Adding, “This program not only positively impacted the students, but I witnessed its impact on the presenters, parents, community leaders, and Crispus Attucks staff.”
By the end of the program, students walked away with more than just job opportunities – they left with the understanding that York is their home and that ultimately, it’s the entire community’s responsibility to keep it clean and habitable for future generations.
