The Ohio State University, JPMorgan Chase jointly host over 100 Columbus City Schools educators
In partnership with The Ohio State University, JPMorgan Chase recently hosted more than 100 Columbus City Schools educators interested in learning how to establish pathways for their students in science, technology, engineering, the arts, mathematics and medicine (STEAMM).
The event held Friday at JPMorgan Chase’s Columbus campus was part of STEAMM Rising, a collaboration between the university, the city of Columbus, Columbus City Schools and Columbus State Community College. Teachers had an opportunity to speak to technology leaders at the financial institution and explore some of the cutting-edge tools the company uses to support its customers.
“I really wanted to know what else there was out there for our students to do. Sometimes, especially in elementary school, we only know to tell them the basics,” said Joi Rucker, an instructional coach at Stewart Alternative Elementary School. “You can be a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher. You can go into medicine.”
Eric Dursik, JPMorgan Chase’s managing director of global technology, showed teachers the high-tech control room that helps the firm stay on top of its online operations. Teachers also had an opportunity to explore a virtual meeting booth.
Rucker said the visit to the office of the financial firm exposed her to new occupations for STEAMM-focused students. “It was nice to be able to figure out this is what a software engineer does, or this is how [technology] plays a part in that. I’m excited to learn all about this and take it back to the classroom.”
Ohio State continues to host Columbus schoolteachers at STEAMM Rising camps on the Columbus campus this summer. Terri Bucci, program director for STEAMM Rising, said the focus on these pathways comes as the area is seeing a surge of technology-focused businesses, earning recognition as the “Silicon Heartland.”
“The overarching goal of this work is to provide access to and awareness of STEAMM fields for students in central Ohio so that we can better meet the workforce needs that are coming up,” Bucci said. “All of us together, working side by side … and really partnering with each other, that’s what’s going to raise the opportunities for the students in central Ohio.”
The visit to the JPMorgan Chase campus is just one of the partnerships between the financial firm and Ohio State. Additionally, the New Skills Ready Network (NSRN), is a five-year, $7 million investment in Columbus launched by the firm in 2020. The NSRN leverages innovative new practices and policy solutions to expand access to real-world work experience, higher education and good careers for underserved young people.
NSRN comprises a collaborative of partners including Columbus City Schools, Ohio Excels, Ohio State and Columbus State Community College, with a shared goal of supporting Columbus students so they are exposed to tech careers and have access to tech career pathways, regardless of the school they attend.