Teaming up with Dr. Will Patterson, Acting Director Sharon Irish is helping to launch a science and technology based curriculum for youth at Champaign’s Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club, 201 E. Park St., 4-6pm. Dr. Patterson teaches courses at the University of Illinois through a number of departments; in Fall 2016 he is offering “De-coding Dr. Dre” in the Technology Entrepreneur Center (TEC) of the College of Engineering. Students in that course will help mentor the Club youth over a six-session pilot program called “Ghetto Genius Motorsports.” While the use of “ghetto” in some situations needs to be challenged, but Dr. P (as he is known) is reclaiming this sometimes-perjorative word to underscore the amazing talents in neighborhoods that are often ignored or undermined. This pilot program starts Thursday, November 10, 2016, at the Club, featuring youth from Spirit for Racing in Dayton, Ohio, and former NASCAR racer, Bill Lester, showing Club members ways to learn engineering skills through remote-control cars and go-carts.

Mr. Lester will visit various public schools in Champaign and Urbana throughout the day on Thursday. His presentations will focus on the importance of preparing kids for opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, along with the arts. Other people working with Dr. P are Austin Curry, who is a Design Engineer for Ford Motor Company, and Alvarez Dixon, a 4H Statewide Career Readiness Educator.

Co-sponsors besides the Club, TEC, and CDI include Hobbico, 4H, Pepsi, Champaign and Urbana Schools, Operation Hope, the City of Champaign, Walk as One, and the following entities at the University of Illinois: Research Park, and the AWARE program (Accelerating Women And underRepresented Entrepreneurs.)