Empowering the Future: TSU Wraps Up Verizon STEM Achievers Program with Purpose, Passion, and Promise
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July 14, 2025 (Houston Style Magazine) — HOUSTON — On Friday, July 11, the campus of Texas Southern University (TSU) buzzed with curiosity, creativity, and community as nearly 200 rising 6th to 8th graders showcased their summer-long achievements during the culminating event of the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers Program. The vibrant closing ceremony, held at TSU’s Science Building and Sawyer Auditorium, served as both a celebration of youthful innovation and a powerful reminder of what’s possible when opportunity meets vision. In partnership with Verizon and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), TSU hosted this no-cost, immersive STEM camp with a mission: to equip students in under-resourced communities with access to cutting-edge technology, real-world learning, and mentors who believe in their brilliance. This wasn’t your average summer camp. Throughout the program, students dove headfirst into hands-on experiences in 3D printing, augmented reality (AR), social entrepreneurship, and STEM career exploration. They didn’t just learn about the future—they built it. Each project reflected the ingenuity and collaborative spirit of tomorrow’s engineers, innovators, and changemakers. Rooted in Verizon’s broader commitment to digital inclusion through its Citizen Verizon initiative, the STEM Achievers program is more than an educational experience—it’s a pathway to purpose. By breaking down barriers and opening doors, this initiative ensures that young minds from underserved communities can dream big and explore limitless possibilities. “Watching our students present their ideas and prototypes with such confidence and clarity is a testament to the transformative power of this program,” said a TSU program coordinator. “They’re not just learning science and tech—they’re becoming leaders.” And leaders they were. From augmented reality environmental apps to 3D-printed community solutions, the student showcase wowed guests, parents, and TSU faculty alike. The proud energy was palpable. Each display table stood as a tribute to what happens when mentorship, education, and opportunity align. For TSU, a university proudly committed to urban education and community uplift since 1927, the STEM Achievers program aligns perfectly with its mission to prepare students from diverse backgrounds for roles of leadership in a global society. Friday’s closing event underscored that commitment—and reminded attendees that building a better future starts with believing in our youth. So, Houston Style Magazine readers as the curtains closed and students took their final bows, one thing was clear: the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program isn’t just shaping futures—it’s igniting them. Houston, meet your future innovators. And they’re just getting started.
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Jo-Carolyn Goode
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