The laboratory, called the “FAMU STR²EAM Chevron Innovation Fab Lab,” will serve the Tallahassee community and expose K-12 students to the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) field.
On the heels of record enrollment, recently Florida A&M University made two major moves with corporate sponsors to open the workforce pipeline for students in pursuit of STEM-related careers. In 2021, a partnership between FAMU and Chevron boost investments to afford “students new inroads to study, design, interpret and implement their own creations. It’s a space that fosters critical thinking skills. Fab labs are designed to foster innovation, learning and invention: a place to play, to create, to learn, to mentor and to invent. The Fab Foundation launched Fab labs with a suite of digital fabrication tools and prototyping machines — including laser cutters, 3-D printers, vinyl cutters and milling machines — are inspiring young people across the United States, to learn about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).”
Chevron-supported fab labs include facilities in: Bakersfield, Richmond and Santa Clara, California; New Orleans, Louisiana; Pascagoula, Mississippi; Houston and Odessa/Midland, Texas; and Washington, D.C.. These labs have served more than 50,000 people so far. In addition to Chevron’s partnership with FAMU, it has partnered with Fort Valley State University to launch a fab lab on its campus. The company also plans on expanding the initiative to its other HBCU (historically Black college and university) partners through an HBCU Social Equity project, which aims to accelerate opportunities for Black students in STEM and digital fabrication. Outreach initiatives will also include connecting with local marketspaces like Innovation Park and local community service organizations such as the Challenger Learning Center
Meanwhile, on another front, FAMU students described their own passion and commitment to Social and Economic Justice issues, and their experiences dealing with “severe racial disparities in home ownership, student debt burdens, and incomes. Black owned business have less access to loans, and often only available at higher interest rates.” Historically, North Florida remains as the largest seat of alumni and students who attend FAMU. The FAMU College of Law introduced its new Economic Justice Clinic to the community in a panel discussion on November 16, 2022 withe a dual missions to serve small and minority-owned businesses and nonprofits in the community and train the next generation of social justice lawyers.”
The Economic Justice Clinic, sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A will officially launch in January 2023. The (EJ) Clinic provides transactional legal services to underserved businesses, organizations, and individuals to support positive economic development. The EJ Clinic represents clients needing assistance with business formation, tax exemption, regulatory issues, contract drafting, and heirs’ property. The EJ Clinic also engages in public outreach, education, and advocacy to address ongoing issues of racial economic disparities.
Contact: Prof. Mark Dorosin: mark.dorosin@famu.edu 407-254-4043
The Community Economic Development Clinic is an in-house small business transactional clinic designed to provide students with a broad study of the growing area of community economic development law.
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