Press Release March 21

QUEENS STEM ACADEMY Launched by LaGuardia Community College and Queens College to Increase Hispanic, Low-Income, and other Under-Represented Minorities in High-Demand STEM Fields

—Funded by $4.6M U.S. Department of Education Grant— 

QUEENS, NY (March 21, 2022)—LaGuardia Community College (LaGuardia) and Queens College (QC) have received a $4.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education (U.S. DOE) to prepare thousands of Hispanic and low-income students to enter fast-growing STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. Together the colleges will launch the Queens STEM Academy (Q-STEM), recruiting students from under-represented groups into STEM majors, enhancing STEM education at LaGuardia, streamlining the transfer process for LaGuardia graduates to earn bachelor’s degrees at QC, and providing robust career guidance for students. 

“We are thrilled to partner with Queens College on this initiative and are grateful for the U.S. Department of Education’s support that is making the Queens STEM Academy possible. LaGuardia produces more STEM graduates than any other community college in the CUNY system, and this grant will help to attract even more students to our stellar programs,” said LaGuardia President Kenneth Adams. “Jobs in STEM, where there’s high demand and financial rewards, are possible for so many of our Queens residents. Q-STEM will provide students the education and support they need to succeed, while addressing employers’ urgent calls for an expanded workforce of well-prepared STEM experts.”

“Queens College is delighted to partner with LaGuardia Community College in preparing Hispanic and low-income students to enter STEM-related fields,” said QC President Frank H. Wu. “As New York looks to rebound from the pandemic, there will be opportunities in every sector of the economy for people with this kind of education. Strengthening the STEM pipeline in the borough will benefit everyone.”

This LaGuardia-QC initiative [ed.gov] aims to significantly boost the number of LaGuardia STEM graduates who transfer to QC to earn their bachelor’s degrees. High school graduates will be recruited for STEM programs at LaGuardia. Q-STEM participants will have opportunities to take classes on the QC campus and participate in a Summer STEM Academy to enhance their skills and knowledge. Faculty exchanges and curriculum review will occur between the two colleges, and a learning community cohort model will be launched. Over the grant term, LaGuardia and QC intend to work toward implementing joint degrees and shared transfer advisement.

The five-year grant is from the U.S. DOE’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and Articulation Program (Title III). Both LaGuardia and QC are Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI), a special designation for colleges with 25 percent or more Hispanic or Latino students. At LaGuardia, Hispanic and Latino students make up 48 percent of the student population. At QC, Hispanic and Latino students make up 28 percent of the student population.

LaGuardia Community College, located in Long Island City, Queens, educates thousands of New Yorkers annually through degree, certificate, and continuing education programs. Our guiding principle, Dare to Do More, reflects our belief in the transformative power of education—not just for individuals, but for our community and our country—creating pathways for achievement and safeguarding the middle class. LaGuardia is a national voice on behalf of community colleges, where half of all U.S. college students study. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his championing the underserved. Since our doors opened in 1971, our programs regularly become national models for pushing boundaries to give people of all backgrounds access to a high quality, affordable college education. We invite you to join us in imagining what our students, our community, and our country can become.

About Queens College
Queens College produces more education graduates who become principals, teachers, and counselors for the city’s public schools than any other college in the metropolitan area. The college contributes to the local talent pool as a powerful economic engine and a leader in tech education. Students from across the country and around the world are attracted to study at the Aaron Copland School of Music. Its renowned faculty and alumni include nationally recognized composers, conductors, and performers who have received over 100 Grammy Awards and nominations.

Queens College enjoys a national reputation for its liberal arts and sciences and pre-professional programs. With its graduate and undergraduate degrees, honors programs, and research and internship opportunities, the college helps its more than 20,000 students realize their potential in countless ways, assisted by an accessible, award-winning faculty. Located on a beautiful, 80-acre campus in Flushing, the college has been cited by Princeton Review as one of America’s Best Value Colleges for four consecutive years, as well as being ranked a U.S. News and World Report Best College and Forbes Magazine Best Value College thanks to its outstanding academics, generous financial aid packages, and relatively low costs. Visit our homepage to learn. more​.