Boeing Engineer Stressed Importance of STEM to OSU-OKC EXCELerate Students

OSU-OKC and Dove Science Academy (Dove) continued to collaborate on EXCELerate: Dove, a program supported by a grant from The Boeing Company that provides top performing high school juniors and seniors at Dove the opportunity to receive college credit from OSU-OKC. In July, as a part of the program, 40 EXCELerate: Dove students and their parents attended a presentation by visiting Boeing engineer, Rafael DeLeon, on the importance of STEM education.

EXCELerate: Dove kicked off in 2017 when the first 20 high school students from Dove entered the program. Since then many of those students have earned 33 college credits and are on track to complete an associate degree by the time they graduate high school in May 2019. Earlier this summer, a second group of 20 Dove students entered the program.

OSU-OKC’s partnership with Dove reflects the mission of OSU-OKC to provide industry relevant higher education for a diverse student population. The EXCELerate: Dove program delivers high-quality, college-level courses and creates a pathway for high-performing, motivated high school students to gain college credit while in high school and earn enough college credits to qualify for graduation with an associate degree. Coursework includes computer technology courses, science courses and higher-level mathematics courses, providing transferable, STEM-rich curriculum that enhances future educational opportunities for participating Dove students.

“EXCELerate: Dove is not only a financial win for students and their families, it’s also a win for Oklahoma as it provides students with the opportunity to rapidly pursue their academic dreams and enter the workforce and at the same time, helps build our middle class. We deeply appreciate The Boeing Company for their financial support of this vital program and for participating in the program by giving students focused and relevant insights into the importance of STEM studies,” said OSU-OKC President, Brad Williams.