At Airship, we acknowledge that voices have been underrepresented in our communities and in our industry. We hold the fundamental belief that diversity leads to strength, adaptability, and resilience. It takes continuous learning and daily effort to cultivate a collective that resembles the world around us.
The aforementioned is part of a statement that we crafted to define what diversity, equity, and inclusion mean to us here at Airship. And, it is particularly pertinent today, June 19th.
Because, to us, Juneteenth is more than being aware of the day in 1865 when the last slaves were freed in Galveston, Texas. It is a reminder that we still have work to do when it comes to listening and learning from the underrepresented voices within our communities.
As part of that, we want to actively recognize Juneteenth. We want to give and interact with an organization that is working to close the opportunity gap that exists with students who are educationally disadvantaged. And, we want to do it in a way that supports the ongoing education of students in the areas of science and technology.
Breakthrough Birmingham was established in 2013 and is part of a bigger Breakthrough Collaborative which is a nonprofit based in Oakland, CA with affiliates in 24 cities nationwide. Breakthrough works to prepare underserved and disadvantaged students for college.
Breakthrough Birmingham in conjunction with Birmingham City Schools provides rigorous summer and after-school enrichment programs to middle school students. One of the ways they support students is through a summer program.
Statistically, 65% of the 9th-grade achievement gap is due to what is called the “summer slide.” Low-income students experience a two-month loss in math and reading skills compared to their more affluent peers. By keeping these students engaged and learning during the summer they move forward instead of sliding back.
To support their efforts this summer, Airship is donating robotic kits to encourage STEM learning. These solar-powered kits can be made into a variety of different robots and can be reused giving long-term learning opportunities.
Being involved in a way that develops future engineers, developers, and scientists is a way that Airship can continue to live into our vision of creating transformational change through remarkable experiences. Here’s to Breakthrough Birmingham students living into a summer of remarkable experiences via technology.
To learn more about or to donate to Breakthrough Birmingham, click here.
