The world thinks teaching more STEM will solve the lack of diversity in STEM, not realizing OUTDOOR PLAY, the precursor to STEM mastery, is missing.

DETROIT, MI , US, June 20, 2016 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Communities set the pace for schools, households and the workforce. Change the look and vibe of a community and  resident mindsets, perceptions, workforce habits change. "I know this first-hand as I transitioned Rosa Parks middle school, a low performing, into high performing Duke Ellington Conservatory of Music and Arts by changing the physical and mental environment of the war zone torn community around the school, states Ida Byrd-Hill President of Uplift, Inc., the host for Ride-N-Play"

Daily, utilizing fun and play, Ida led the parent  community to  inspect the building internal and external to ensure the staff maintained cleanliness. Daily, those parents interacted with the commercial entities to ensure their facilities were not polluting the school grounds. .Those parents planted and maintained thousands of beautiful flowers   to show beauty in a crime ridden area. They also reviewed every piece of curriculum insuring it matched any high performing suburban school until administrators were able to catch the vision Duke Ellington Conservatory of Music and Arts was a private school funded by a public dollar, rivaling any school.

The same community development formula worked in the pilot Hustle & TECHknow Preparatory High School, a cyber high school powered by an online mathematics oriented curriculum. Hustle & TECHknow Preparatory High School won the 2007 Automation Alley Educational Program of the Year Award.

Creativity, and invention  combined with knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are the leading skills for 21st century jobs. Sadly, African and Hispanic Americans, collectively, are missing from these jobs. The world thinks teaching more STEM will solve the problem, not realizing OUTDOOR PLAY is the precursor to STEM mastery. Dr. Stuart Brown, Professor Stanford D.School states, "The advantage that countries like the United States retain is the ability to invent. Nations that remain economically strong are those that can create intellectual property – and the ability to innovate largely comes out of an ability to play."

This thought was confirmed in the book, Juice, and many more research documents. Every major inventor was quite playful, testing and discovering new information  even as a child. Often, play evolves around constructing, developing and making things. Outdoor play incorporates imagination, inventiveness, risk, physics, chemistry and biology - the sciences. Even something as simple as a Hoola Hoop contest is a lesson in physics – gravity and momentum.

Ride-N-Play, a 4.3 mile bike ride, scavenger hunt and entertainment is set to encourage STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) mastery.

The more young people experience hands-on STEM in their every day lives, the better they perform on standardized exams. The better they perform, the more opportunities for scholarships and jobs. The more income produced, poverty and crime is reduced. As crime and poverty is reduced, Detroit neighborhoods become even more enticing to new residents.

I cordially invite families to bring their children to Ride-N-Play. Come dance with us. Come play outdoor activities with your family, Saturday June 25, 2016 8am - noon No Bike? Register to win a Detroit Bikes A--Type.   Want to see potential job opportunities? Come tour Detroit Bikes Factory Ride-N-Play VIP Reception Thursday June 23, 2016. Register here http://www.upliftinc.org/Ride-N-Play.aspx

First Uber Ride? Get a ride to and from event up to $15 dollars each way use ridenplay code

Ida Byrd-Hill
Uplift, Inc.
313-444-4885
email us here