Two McNair Academic seniors , Yuga Patel and Saleema Diallo co-founded GRAM -Games and Robotics Academy for Minorities, to teach coding, games and robotics to Greenville kids.
The pair teamed up with a local nonprofit called DCM (Deliverance Children’s Ministry) and the Triangle Park Community Center (part of a local Episcopal ministry based at 247 Old Bergen Road) to create GRAM after seeing many Jersey City elementary school kids falling short in math competency skills.
Currently 25 city youths are enrolled in the program.
Saleema said, “we are targeting low-income underrepresented minorities in STEM and we’ve worked with around 25 kids so far. We’re doing everything we can to support our kids – from providing essential supplies, like chromebooks, to throwing in some fun extras like candy, certificates and a bowling field trip (now being planned).”
Still, Yuga said, “we could use some help” because “we’re running short on funds to buy more robotics kits and fund more of these field trips.”
Anyone willing to consider reaching out with “advice on how to improve our program, a partnership, financial support or even just spreading the word on social media to find more volunteers and students who want to join in” is invited to visit Instagram: @gram.jerseycity
