EastSide unveils long-awaited, $27M Chemours STEM Hub

WILMINGTON – EastSide Charter School unveiled a new STEM hub Monday with the goal of creating job opportunities for underrepresented children, training Delaware adults, and creating a love and passion for math and science.

Named the Chemours STEM Hub after the lead donor – $4 million from Chemours – other funding sources include $1 million from Barclays US Consumer Bank, $3 million in federal funding, and $5 million in state funds.

One of the largest industries in the First State is STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), which is among the strongest in the nation, according to the Delaware Prosperity Partnership.

“Delaware has generated one of the world’s largest talent pools of science and technology expertise, all within easy commuting distance of Wilmington,” a report from the Partnership states. 

EastSide CEO Aaron Bass believes many students don’t know where to start if they want to be an engineer, chemist, doctor, or another job in that sector.

Just 35% of STEM-related jobs are held by women, who make up about half of America’s workforce. Black workers make up about 8% of the STEM workforce, and Hispanics make up less than 15%, according to the National Science Board.

“STEM does not discriminate; systems and people do,” said Chemours President and CEO Denise Dignam at Monday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, which started with a joyous celebration and plenty of speakers in EastSide’s packed auditorium, followed by a tour of the two-story building that’s already in use, with several classes taking place during the tour.

The opening of the building – which was delayed a week due to the snowstorms – is just the beginning, she said. 

“This is the building, but what we have to do is make it alive,” she said. “We have to bring people, people from Chemours, people from the community, and we’ve got to inspire kids so that they know the benefits of it and what is really needed in our world, and provide that opportunity to them.”

The charter, located on North Claymont Street, about five minutes from the heart of Wilmington, broke ground on the structure in February 2023.

One goal of the new $27 million, 24,000-square-foot STEM is to increase accessibility to these career paths. 

The building won’t just be for classes, nor will it be exclusive to EastSide students.

A maker’s space with professional machinery, a 3D printing lab, computer coding labs, experimental science labs, and a music and TV studio are other highlights of the STEM Hub.

It also has an esports lab. 

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The hub has been compared to a public library, as it will be open to all children and adults in Delaware. 

“Somewhere here, maybe in this room, but somewhere in this community is the Jeff Bezos of 2040, of 2050, of 2060. Somewhere in here is the Mark Zuckerberg,” said Governor-elect Matt Meyer.

He said there are individuals in the community who have the ability and desire to achieve greatness. Still, poverty and a lack of resources  prevents them from ever realizing their potential.

Adults looking to enter STEM careers can also enroll in classes at EastSide’s newest structure. 

EastSide Board Chair Cecil Gordon quoted Malcolm X: “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”

There will also be mental and behavioral services at the hub, although the details of them were not clear from Monday’s event.

NASA will also provide some programming to EastSide.

Some of the opportunities outside of classes for EastSide students include mentoring, robotics, coding, chemistry, biology, renewable energy, and Science Olympiad sessions.

“This neighborhood has gone through decades of despair, and us all coming together today is not only changing the future of today’s youth, but generations to come,” said Markevis Gideon, CEO of NERDiT NOW, a Wilmington-based tech repair company. 

He finished his speech by quoting Isaiah 43:19: “Forget what’s happened. I can draw a path through the forest. I can bring a stream to the desert.”

“And that’s what’s happening right now [at EastSide],” Gideon said. 

More on EastSide’s STEM Hub

September 12, 2022: EastSide celebrates Barclays $1M donation for STEM lab

February 1, 2023: EastSide breaks ground on $25 million community STEM hub

December 11, 2023: $26.5 Million EastSide STEM hub to open in 1 year