News Briefs

Joel Luera, a recent graduate from W.W. Samuell Early College High School, is heading to college with an associate degree he earned while in high school. Luera is an excellent debater who is headed to the University of Texas in the fall. KERA has profiled Luera as part of its American Graduate series. Go here to see the full story from KERA. Photo courtesy KERA

A student at Dallas ISD’s School of Science and Engineering (SEM) is offering a free three-day computer science workshop for girls in grades 6-8. Saumya Rawat’s “IT Empowerment for Her” workshop is designed to introduce middle school girls from historically underrepresented areas to the profession. Participants will learn how to use MIT App Inventor, meet student and professional mentors and learn about STEM careers. The program is scheduled for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. July 25-27 at the University of Texas at Dallas and would like to draw at least 40 participants. The workshop is Rawat’s “passion project,” a requirement for seniors…

Thanks to employee donations and strong corporate and educational partnerships, the Stars on the Rise scholarship program raised $2.39 million to distribute to deserving area high school graduates. Rick Ortiz, president/CEO of the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GDHCC), said that in the 34 years of the program, 4,100 students have benefited from $34.5 million in scholarships. “Most of the scholars come from here. This has been a longstanding partnership that we’re very proud of,” Ortiz said of Dallas ISD. “We couldn’t have done it without our sponsors and donors.” Don Pérez. chairman of the GDHCC board, said that the numbers…

The Dallas ISD Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Department is offering more than 40 free summer camps over the next month. The camps range from forensics and environmental engineering to 3D printing and video game programming. The camps will be held at schools across the district. Go here to see a full list of the free STEM summer camps. Families can contact the summer camp campus coordinator to determine availability.