​On October 30, the Percy Julian Institute sponsored a field trip for 30 Howard University Middle School of Math and Science students. They visited the Mission to Mars exhibit where they explored the climate and geology of Mars, along with the challenges of robotic exploration in space. They also visited the McDonnell Space Hangar where they explored the Space Shuttle Discovery and other space artifacts that trace our history, science, and technology in space.

On October 25, 2018, the Percy Julian Institute sponsored a field trip for ten Walker Mill Middle School students to Howard University’s Trauma Center. The students learned what the Trauma Center does after receiving a 911, the types of cases brought to the Trauma Center, the information conveyed to the Center so it’s prepared for the arrival of the ambulance, assessments made by the receiving medical team, and the necessary emergency medical procedures.

​Students toured the Trauma Center where the staff discussed their respective roles and the opportunities available in medical careers. The students enjoyed getting an “inside” look at how the Center functions. On the event evaluations, several students said they are now considering careers in a medical field.

On October 23, 2018, the Percy Julian Institute sponsored a field trip for 25 Stonewall Middle School students to the Smithsonian Museum of African Art. The students received a specially customized STEAM (STEM + the Arts) tour that demonstrated the impact of STEM on Art. The docents provided background regarding the purpose and meaning of the historical pieces of art and the technology used to do the craftsmanship. Students examined objects and learn about the ideas that impacted African art and much more.

From the evaluations, the students had a great time. Many were pleased to learn about their heritage. The chaperones shared that for many of the students, this trip was the first time at a museum.

Our Girls Who Code event took place on March 24, 2018.  Girls in grades 6 through 12 had the opportunity to learn key skills for creating apps, websites and new software solutions.

Our Moneywise Financial Empowerment event with Kelvin Boston was a tremendous success, just listen to the feedback from one participant:

On January 20, 2018, the Daniel A Payne Community Development Corporation hosted its first citywide elementary and middle school robotics tournament.  Over 20 teams participated and nearly 230 people attended the event. The teams were competing for the VEX IQ challenge DC league championship.  This was the 2nd of 3 match challenge competitions to determine the top teams in the DC area.  The DAPCDC’s robotics team placed in the top 10 in the tournament.