New programs to provide STEM education & improve workforce development

Bank of America is announcing a $1 million donation to Discovery Place to provide students and teachers resources and skills for education and career development to meet the growing demand for STEM jobs. In fact, companies will need to fill more than 88,500 STEM related jobs in the Mecklenburg County area by 2028. This partnership will provide the Charlotte area with a workforce pipeline which is essential to the continued economic growth of the region.

By establishing the Bank of America STEM Center, a key hub for high quality career STEM education, Discovery Place will provide new programs to more than 7,000 students at various Charlotte Mecklenburg County Title I schools. This partnership will also create new opportunities for the bank’s employees, with a special focus on the Global Technology team to volunteer with middle and high school students on a more regular basis to encourage STEM careers.

“Discovery Place plays a critical role in providing the necessary educational resources for the greater Charlotte region,” said Kieth Cockrell, President of Bank of America Charlotte. “With significant demand in hiring more STEM workers, we’re committed to making sure young people, particularly underrepresented diverse groups and women, are set up for future career success.”

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“We are so grateful for our continued partnership with Bank of America and their investment in this community, which we have had the pleasure of serving for 75 years,” said Catherine Wilson Horne, Discovery Place President and CEO. “These funds will allow Discovery Place to reach even more youth through our STEM pipeline, in areas like technology and computer science, to help build a homegrown, science-literate workforce for generations to come.”

“This partnership enhances our decades of support of and volunteerism with Discovery Place by addressing our community’s need for a robust STEM workforce and access to economic opportunity,” said Aditya Bhasin, Bank of America’s Chief Technology and Information Officer and Chair of the Discovery Place Board of Trustees. “We are pleased our funds will support introducing students to the world of STEM and its career opportunities.”

Discovery Place and Bank of America have been partners in education for nearly 30 years. Since 2014 the center has supported nearly 14,000 teachers from across North and South Carolina with programs designed to help them teach STEM education. In 2018 the bank donated property at Sixth and Poplar Streets to Discovery Place to develop the Bank of America STEM Center for Career Development.