Impact
Our impact is reflected in the success of our students. How our youth perceive, embrace, and act on their DAPCEP experiences is deeply important to us; it informs our strategies for continual improvement. As we strive to develop a picture of long-term impact by gathering and analyzing quantitative data; we simultaneously work to collect stories, analyze pre and post-tests, and track our current students’ progress.
Awards
City Council of Detroit, Spirit of Detroit Award, 2015
Black Family Development, Inc., Community Champion, 2015
READY Excellence in Education Award, Jason Lee, 2015
READY Excellence in Education Award, Michelle Reaves, 2015
Everything Business Corp!, Diversity Business Leader, Jason Lee, 2014
Michigan Chronicle, Men of Excellence, Jason Lee, 2014
Detroit Public Schools, Top Supplier Recognition, 2013
National Science Foundation, ITEST PI Emeritus, Jason Lee 2012
United States Senate, Certificate of Congressional Recognition, 2011
Michigan Department of Education, Certificate of Appreciation, Jason Lee, 2006
Student Success at SEFMD
DAPCEP has a strong presence in Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD). We engage students during the entire academic year in an elective DAPCEP course, taught by DAPCEP trained teachers. The following illustrates the achievement of DPS-DAPCEP students compared to those DPS students who were not engaged in DAPCEP.
Of special note is that a DPS-DAPCEP high school student received a Grand Award, the first Grand Award by any DPS student in 8 years.
Evaluation
Success is evident in each of our core programs. We have an Evaluation Committee that measures improvements in pre and post-testing as well as attitudinal assessments. Highlights from our Pathfinders program include:
End-of-Course Survey – All Sessions (N=743)
60% of students agreed, “I will major in a STEM field in college.”
95% of students agreed, “I will graduate from high school.”
95% of students agreed, “I will attend college.”
94% of students agreed, “I will graduate from college.”
DAPCEP Alumni Success
We surveyed 429 of our alumni and asked where they were currently working. The majority of the alumni we surveyed are living and working in Michigan.
Testimonials
“DAPCEP has had a great impact on my life. It helped me meet new people who shared the same passion that I had for engineering and who, in the long run, became some of my closest friends. DAPCEP helped me stay ahead in my academics. My parents made sure that they put me in every science and math class that DAPCEP had to offer to ensure that I would be prepared for those subjects in my middle school and high school years. Not only did DAPCEP impact my personal and academic life, it helped me choose a career that I enjoy. One of the classes I attended in DAPCEP was a webpage design course allowing me to have my first experience in the Computer Science realm. The class showed how to design a webpage using HTML in Notepad++ and from there I continued on learning how to design better webpages. That class stuck with me and helped me realize that Computer Science is what I want to do for the rest of my life.” – Jeffrey Morris, Junior at the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
“DAPCEP introduced me to engineering. There was one course in particular that really solidified my interest in engineering. In seventh grade, I was chosen to go to the U of M Saturday classes and I was in the Biomedical Engineering course. I remember visiting and seeing cadavers and learning about how biomedical engineers made prosthetics for people. From then on I knew what I wanted to study. While my interests and research focus has heavily evolved (I am currently working on nematode cyst extraction and have interests in regulating genetically modified bacteria for biofuel production) this DAPCEP class and the encouragement of my mother helped me to desire an engineering degree.” – Allante Whitmore, currently pursuing her M.S. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
“I was laid off in May and struggling with transportation for my daughter. However, I know how important DAPCEP is to her education and so I did everything I could to make sure she was able to attend her math class. Ariel’s grades improved in school because of this class. She went from a ‘C’ to a ‘B’. She used to be very frustrated with math, but in DAPCEP she had such a great time and now she really likes it. Not only did the class help her for those Saturdays, but she was also able to take home content (worksheets and website resources) to work on over the summer. She still uses those resources today. Ariel told me that she’s interested in a career in medicine. I’m thankful to DAPCEP for getting her grades up and excited about math!” – Ketrina Gordon; her daughter Ariel attended the 7th grade math class at the General Motors Center for Human Resources
“My daughter has always had that engineering spirit deep down inside. I actually attended DAPCEP almost 20 years ago, to have my daughter enter the program is awesome. Normal teenagers want to sleep in on Saturday mornings and do nothing. LaMetra was up at 5:00 each Saturday getting ready for DAPCEP, ready to learn. DAPCEP has stirred up her curiosity and love for all things engineering. The class asked and explore everyday things that we normally do not pay attention too and incorporate that into a lesson. Each Saturday before I could even get a hello in, she was so happy to share what she learned. This program allowed her to interact with students from the Metro Detroit area that blossomed into great friendships as well.” – Sharilyn Small; her daughter LaMetra Powe took the Introduction to Engineering course at Wayne State University
“Kenneth had a wonderful time during DAPCEP. His excitement for the program was delightful and the experience was meaningful. For example, he had forensics lessons, activities regarding the functions of the human body, and assignments involving simple machines and the use of these machines in everyday life. DAPCEP offered enriching and engaging “hands-on” experiences that cultivated his natural interests in math and science. I appreciate this opportunity for Kenneth, and I look forward to his continued progression in STEM-related activities. Kenneth continues to maintain an “A” average in math and science studies.” –Jennifer Rogers; her son was in the 5th grade class at University of Detroit Mercy