Why Black Kids Are Thriving At This Boarding School
Photo credits: isma.edu
A specialized STEM public boarding school called Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA) is helping a good number of gifted black students reach their full academic potential.
Located in the city of Aurora, Illinois, IMSA serves bright and academically strong school-aged minors in grades 10 through 12. IMSA was created by the State of Illinois for the purpose of offering a cutting-edge college preparatory curriculum that revolutionizes education through first-class researching.
IMSA prides itself on its commitment to diversity and the sizable number of non-white members of the student population proves this. Shari Noland, the Executive Editor of the Chicago Defender recently wrote and published a report about IMSA, which covered the success of some of its black students.
“IMSA attracts students from all over the state with more than 50 counties in Illinois represented. About half of the kids, who live in seven residence halls, are from the greater Chicago area.” Noland wrote.
One of the students profiled in Noland’s article was a IMSA senior named Malik Roberson. Roberson plans to study Aerospace Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology in fall of 2017. He talked to the Chicago Defender about some of his great plans, including a mission to design the world’s fastest skateboard.
“I have a partner right now who is going to help fund me for the project,” Roberson told The Defender. “I’ll be receiving $2,000 for electronics, safety gear, deck, things like that. The record speed is 70 miles per hour,” he continued. Roberson is also working with the Quad County African American Chamber of Commerce to complete his project.
Kendell Byrd, a former IMSA student, told The Defender that she’s already secured a post-graduation job in Los Angeles, California as a video producer for BuzzFeed News. Byrd currently attends Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania.
“At first I’m like, ‘Oh, I’ll just check it out. I’m probably not interested in going to boarding school and being away from home for three years. Literally, upon 10 minutes of listening to the presentation, I was like, ‘I have to go here. This is where I belong,’” Byrd told The Defender about her IMSA experience.
Great parents who are academically strong themselves are the best role models to get children prepared for the demands of the real world of evolving technology.
For more information and a step by step guide on how to transition your children and family to homeschooling, visit:TheBlackHomeSchoolGuide.com.
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