Lehman College, which largely serves a Hispanic student body, is set to receive more than $1 million in federal funding for its science, technology,

engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, in a move to close the gap between STEM-related jobs and minorities.

The funds will be used to sponsor extra classroom help for students attending Bronx Community College and Hostos Community College, two-year colleges, and looking to earn a STEM degree from Lehman College.

“This award will accelerate Lehman College’s efforts to advance its role as an engine of upward mobility,” Dr. Harriet Fayne Lehman College’s provost, said in a statement. “Through our efforts, we expect to expand access to careers in STEM and reduce the time it takes students to earn their degrees.”

As it stands, the federal government is intending to meet a demand that will see a 17 percent increase in STEM-related professions by 2020, according to a 2014 report by the U.S. Department of Education. The same report showed that while Hispanics are the greatest minority showing a great interest in earning a higher education degree in a STEM field, they are less likely to graduate.

The funds are part of the Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM Program, which set aside $7 million in federal funding for New York colleges that largely serve Hispanic students. New York U.S. Senator Schumer called the earmark a “smart investment” as “our economy continues to transition to the 21st century.” New York U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand noted the funds will aid in allowing more Hispanics to study STEM subjects.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.