Nubian Directions is opening a free community lending library with S.T.E.A.M ( science, technology, engineering, art, and math ) equipment and more to provide resources to those in Dutchess County.

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The Poughkeepsie YouthBuild students have been constructing this room to hold the equipment.

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Now that construction concluded, the Poughkeepsie YouthBuild students assisted in building shelving and transporting the equipment inside.

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The room is full of thousands of dollars of valuable equipment that will all be given to Dutchess County.

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This includes 3D Printers, 10+ bikes, S.T.E.M building kits, high-speed computers, podcasting equipment, 10+ sewing machines, embroidery machines, drones, monitors, driving simulators, and so much more.

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Mario Johnson, Previously Director of Marist College Upward Bound Program, is returning to the Nubian Directions team as the YouthBuild/AmeriCorps Coordinator on May 8th, 2023. With this upcoming position, he brought all of this equipment to dedicate it to the community.

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You may be wondering, what is the purpose of a free lending center?

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The purpose of this initiative is to close the gap and ensure that everyone has a fair shot at accessing S.T.E.A.M education and resources, which is crucial for addressing systemic injustices and promoting social equality. In the spring of 2021, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) at Harvard University delved into the connection between S.T.E.A.M and systemic oppression. 

They also provided evidence-based recommendations for improving S.T.E.A.M education for marginalized students.

https://seas.harvard.edu/office-diversity-inclusion-and belonging/programs/intersections-stem-and-social-justice-series-0

By providing completely free S.T.E.A.M. equipment, we will be able to close the gap and ensure everyone has a fair shot. Benefitting statistics for low-income minority individuals in S.T.E.A.M fields, which currently is lacking but seeing progress.

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While we are still developing this center, it will soon be a Micro Enterprise Youth Opportunity Center or M.E.Y.O.P.

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The M.E.Y.O.P will serve all Dutchess County residents and provide essential community resources to build a hub for success. If you are interested in our building plans or want to support us, please click here for more information.

In conclusion, Nubian Directions is making a significant effort to provide access to S.T.E.A.M equipment and resources to the Dutchess County community by establishing a free lending library.

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The library is equipped with a wide range of valuable equipment such as 3D printers, high-speed computers, sewing machines, and more. To hear about updates relating to this center, please sign up for our newsletter to get exclusive information.

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