Black Star Rising Freedom Academy Students Complete 10 Weeks of STEM Courses

Black Star Rising Freedom Academy students look at a human brain

Twenty-two students completed ten Saturday sessions of the African American Achievement and Leadership Initiative's  (AAALI) Black Star Rising’s Freedom Academy this spring with a 95% attendance rate.

Rising ninth grade students attended the weekly Saturday morning classes (120-minute sessions) throughout the Spring semester. They were introduced to core mathematical, physics, and engineering concepts via a curriculum designed by the UCSF Mathematical, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Schools Program. In addition to academic content, students learned about the numerous contributions and inventions created by African American scientists, inventors, and programmers.

Students also had the opportunity to speak with Black medical students at UCSF and got an up-close and personal look at a human brain!

As a culmination to the 10-week academy, students were able to participate in a friendly competition evaluating their acquired scientific and engineering skills with our MESA partners, measuring the specifications and durability of their moonbases. 

Black Star Rising Freedom Academy students demonstrate the specifications and durability of their moonbases