MDC hosts Microbiology Girls Club with MAST Academy, Homestead students | Miami Herald

Miami Dade College in Homestead recently hosted the first cohort of the 2018 Microbiology Girls Club with students from MAST Academy and Homestead High School.

Participants included two groups of 24 minority students from the two schools. The students participated in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workshops, conducted experiments at the school’s microbiology lab, attended lectures and toured the facility. The club is led by Miami Dade College Assistant Professor M. Nia Madison and funded by a grant from L’Oréal USA’s Changing the Face of STEM program.

“As a two-time Changing the Face of STEM grantee, this program has enabled me to create and now expand the reach of my Miami Dade College Microbiology Girls Club,” Madison said. “Bringing minority high school girls to a college campus and exposing them to careers in biomedical sciences is crucial to increasing the representation of women in STEM.”

Design and Architecture Senior High

Istituto Marangoni Miami, a local fashion college, recently awarded Destiny Charles of Design and Architecture Senior High School with the inaugural $72,000 Istituto Marangoni Scholarship for her excellence in art, design, and academics.

The scholarship program was created to recognize a student who demonstrates the ability to make noteworthy contributions to the fashion industry and their community.

“We are proud of Destiny for winning the prestigious Istituto Marangoni Scholarship," said DASH Fashion Design Program Head Giovanna Sorondo. “Excelling in art, design, and academics, her positive attitude, coupled with a sense of purpose, will make her a very successful college student.”

Destiny has a history of working in the fashion industry with her parents, and she often incorporates social issues and her Caribbean heritage into her designs.

Seminole Elementary School

Seminole Elementary School was named the only Florida finalist in the AT&T Digital Storytelling Challenge, hosted by DonorsChoose.org and AT&T.

The challenge allows Pre-K through high school students to submit their unique digital storytelling projects for funding. The students, and their teacher Milton Fernandez submitted a project called Chocolate Milk with History’s Greats, which requires students to design, write and demonstrate historical interviews that will be posted on the school’s YouTube channel.

The class received a $5,000 gift card from DonorsChoose.org to continue their project, Chocolate Milk with History’s Greats.

Urban League of Greater Miami

Miami-Dade County Public Schools is partnering with the Urban League of Greater Miami and Jessie Trice Community Health System to offer free immunizations to students July 11-25 at Miami Northwestern High, Liberty City Elementary, and West Little River K-8 Center.

Health services will be available to students and the community 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. For information, call Joanne Pierre at 305-785-1739 or email at jbpierre@jtchc.org.