Commercial real estate developer Crescent Communities is partnering with national STEM education non-profit Project Scientist to sponsor its week-long STEM Summer Academy camp themed “Designing Your World,” July 24 – July 28, 2017, at The University of North Carolina Charlotte (UNCC). The camp will introduce girls ages four to 12 to development and design topics such as urban planning, architecture, civil and structural engineering, and sustainability. The camp will also include an expedition to the Crescent Communities’ headquarters in Uptown Charlotte.
Project Scientist works with universities around the country to host week-long intensive summer programs on their campuses and engages with local corporations for a field visit component relevant to the camp’s weekly theme. Crescent Communities has made a $10,000 donation and will be helping raise an additional $10,000 to support the program.
In addition to the cash donation and fundraising, Crescent Communities has committed to working with Project Scientist to develop and design the curriculum for the “Designing Your World” week, as well as arranging STEM Superstars as guest speakers, recruiting volunteers for hands-on assistance during the camp, and arranging and hosting the Expedition part of the program. The curriculum will be tailored to suit different age groups. Younger participants will learn to read a city map, identify basic structures, build bridges for animals and design a floor plan. Older girls will be introduced to zoning, planning, and structure and architecture principles and participate in a sustainability scavenger hunt, a scaling and gridding exercise, and build a tiny house or store.
Crescent Communities’ President of Commercial & Mixed Use Developments Brian Leary will speak at the kick-off for “Designing Your World” as an authority on urban planning principles. The 80 attendees will be broken up into smaller groups by age for the daily classroom activities and visits to an architect’s office, a park for a landscape architecture presentation, and Crescent Communities’ headquarters.
“A commitment to enhance the communities where we do business, particularly here in Charlotte, is core to who Crescent Communities is as a company. We welcome opportunities to support the next generation of placemakers by giving them the tools they’ll need to keep their communities thriving for generations to come,” said Amy Bezanson, director of development for Crescent Communities’ Commercial/Mixed-Use business. “We are pleased to partner with Project Scientist in its efforts to provide opportunities for girls with a passion for STEM to hear directly from industry experts and get early experiences in architecture, engineering and urban planning. These girls have the potential to be the future leaders and innovators in planning and developing our communities, and we hope they find inspiration in this year’s Designing Your World camp.”
According to Project Scientist research, 78 percent of school-aged girls display interest in STEM, and yet women only account for 25 percent of the STEM workforce. This is due in large part to girls with a high aptitude for STEM subjects not being identified at a young age nor given opportunities to explore and enhance their talents.
“We created Project Scientist to change the world’s view of ‘who’ a scientist is and ‘what’ a scientist does,” said Founder and CEO Sandy Marshall. “The vision of Project Scientist is to transform the face of STEM by nurturing today’s future scientists who will lead the world in solving tomorrow's greatest challenges! We are so grateful for support from companies such as Crescent Communities who help make our vision a reality.”
Designing Your World is currently waiting list-only for new participants.
About Crescent Communities:
Crescent Communities, LLC is a leading real estate investment and operating firm creating long-term value by developing thoughtful, sustainable communities that improve people’s lives. Founded in 1963, Crescent’s original mandate as a land management company continues to inform its commitment to the wise stewardship of natural resources. The company finances, plans and develops residential, multifamily, mixed-used and commercial properties and land assets, valued in total at $1.2 billion. Crescent is recognized for its innovative approach to development, robust capital deployment, seasoned leadership team, and proven model of sustainability. For more information about Crescent Communities visit www.crescentcommunities.com.
About Project Scientist
The mission of Project Scientist is to educate, coach, and advocate for girls and women with an aptitude, talent, and passion for STEM. Through engagement of top STEM companies, universities, teachers and hands on curriculum Project Scientist Summer Academy attendees discover the endless opportunities available to them in STEM.
The need for Project Scientist was based off a vast amount of research that shows girls with a high skill, aptitude, and talent for STEM subjects are not currently served or identified at a young age. Underserved and unidentified girls are not provided STEM opportunities at a pace, depth, and breadth commensurate with their talents and interests. Founder Sandy Marshall created Project Scientist to change the world’s view of “who” a scientist is and “what” a scientist does. The vision of Project Scientist is to transform the face of STEM by nurturing today’s future scientists who will lead the world in solving tomorrow's greatest challenges.
The Project Scientist staff diligently sets goals and track the outcomes, outcomes that research has proven to affect girls with an interest in STEM. The company annually partners with Harvard and the University of North Carolina Charlotte to research the model and validate the impact that Project Scientist programs are having on those who attend. For more information, visit http://www.projectscientist.org.
