In the Fall of 2013 the Martin Luther King, JR school Principal, Khita Pottinger, reached out the NSBE Boston to begin a relationship with the Boston Professional chapter that she hoped would enrich the science and math leanings of some of her students. Today we are proud to announce that on February 24th Martin Luther King, JR school became the newest Boston addition to NSBE Jr!
MLK school students at a NSBE program
Boston Professional chapter Pre-College Initiative Chair, Nathan Kituuma, crafted the first joint programs between NSBE Boston and the King School and he pioneered the initiatives that led them to become a full-fledged NSBE Jr chapter. “The kids there showed an early interest in robotics. This chapter will give them a great opportunity to explore robotics and other programs with people that look like them,” Nathan said of the chapter formation.
This effort was largely championed by MLK school’s Rochelle Woodard who is hopeful about the effects it will have on her students – not just in the sciences, but also in their overall professional development. “We have many students interested in different facets of science so having this chapter will help guide them into fields they may not have explored. More importantly, the connection to the professional chapter will expose our students to discipline that will lead them into many other professional and educational pursuits as they move on”.
Nathan is hopeful about the future of the chapter and the landscape of the schools future leaders. “I’m particularly impressed that 3 of the 4 students that stood up to be leaders of the chapter are young women. Not that I wouldn’t be happy to see males in the same positions, but it’s been really interesting to see happen.” He’s also interested in the opportunities it presents for the Burke High School NSBE Jr program to turn around and offer mentoring to their new NSBE j.r. K-8 peers.
The chapter initially applied with 25 students and is now sitting at 33 interested students. In the upcoming year, the MLK School and NSBE Boston are interested in putting together field trips, hosting “professional hours”, and possibly getting the chapter to a zone conference.
This effort is open to all and any support/volunteers! Those interested in learning more about the chapter and how to get involved should contact Nathan Kituuma at pci@nsbeboston.org
