Bloomfield College Hosts First Annual STEM Career Carnival

By Alicia Cook

On September 27, Bloomfield College held a STEM Career Carnival in an effort to increase Bloomfield College students’ exposure to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) majors and careers.

“Ethnic minorities are severely under-represented in STEM professions.  With assistance from our federally-funded PBI grant, we organized this STEM Career Carnival,” said Dr. Tresmaine Grimes, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty. “Our ultimate goal is to recruit students into these professions so that they can take advantage of the abundant STEM employment opportunities available to them upon graduation.”

Key representatives from many of the College’s departments and programs set up information tables on the Quad in front of Talbot Hall.  Natural Science and Mathematics, Computer Science, the Center for Career Development, the Wellness Center, the Center for Innovation in Teaching to Enhance Learning (CITEL), and the Emerging Leaders in STEM (ELS) Program were all in attendance.

The inaugural event included hand-outs about majors in STEM, tutoring services, STEM research opportunities, internship opportunities, STEM careers, and STEM graduate education opportunities.

Students were also given the opportunity to take the Focus 2 Career Assessment and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) through the Center for Career Development.  The Focus 2 guides students through a reliable career and education decision making model to help them select majors and make informed career decisions. Students’ assessment results were matched to career options and majors offered at Bloomfield College. The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an introspective self-report questionnaire designed to indicate psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions.

Approximately 100 students, including current STEM majors and undeclared students, attended the event.  Carnival style food was provided by Gourmet Dining. The STEM Career Carnival was funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Predominantly Black Institutions Competitive Grant Program.

The next STEM Career Carnival is scheduled for March 2017. The spring event will be open to Bloomfield College students and local high school students.

View Pictures Here.

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