Second Annual Event to Educate and Empower Baltimore City Students

On Friday, May 18, more than 750 Baltimore City students won’t be in science class at school. Instead, the throng of 5^th to 12^th graders will be immersed in a daylong program at the nation’s leading hospital designed to inspire them to pursue careers in health and science.

The second annual Claiming Our Future: Career Exploration Day, organized by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Office of Diversity and Cultural Competence, will feature a variety of motivational speakers, including faculty from Johns Hopkins’ schools of education, engineering, medicine, nursing and public health, as well as national and local media personalities. Each will present on a topic tied to this year’s theme: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers — all fields that historically lack representation among women and minorities.

Mario Armstrong, a digital lifestyle expert and Emmy Award-winning journalist who regularly contributes to NBC’s Today show, CNN and NPR’s Morning Edition, will kick off the day with a high-energy program that combines his success story with live, on-stage experiments and technology demonstrations.

“We believe children and youth represent the brightest hope for our future as an institution and that we must help them identify and cherish their innate power to make positive choices,” says Brian Gibbs, Ph.D., M.P.A., OTR/L, associate dean of the Office of Diversity and Cultural Competence. “Our goal is to plant seeds for our potential workforce and professional leaders.”

Along with the presentations, the students will also participate in breakout sessions geared towards their age groups, including interactive introductions to robotics and medical simulation, as well as tours of the new, state-of-the-art Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children’s Center. Students also will learn about overcoming obstacles, setting goals and building healthy relationships from adults of color from across Baltimore and areas similar to East Baltimore who have succeeded in college and professional careers.

Other highlights will include a workshop on empowerment and presentations by local comedian Meshelle, WJZ news anchor Gigi Barnett and Angel Carpenter, on-air radio talent for R&B station 92Q.

Organizers expect twice as many attendees as at last year’s program, which featured internationally renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson. 

Career Exploration Day is just one of many Johns Hopkins initiatives designed to equip local youth with skills and experience for successful health care careers. Johns Hopkins provides many other opportunities, including mentoring, internships, scholarships, job shadowing, lectures and tours of its facilities. Summer job programs at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and national governmental agencies also employ more than 100 college and graduate students each year.