Bahiy Watson | The 1881 Institute of Technology
This summer, The 1881 Institute of Technology (1881) led two simultaneous 6-week summer programs for teens to explore and hone in on skills in the engineering field.
Through a partnership with the City of New Orleans and Dryades YMCA, 1881 exposed more than 100 13 to 15 year-old teens to engineering job prep skills through core courses like mechanical dissection, electrical engineering, and computer-aided-design (CAD)
Across town at the Delgado Sidney Collier Campus, 1881 partnered with Cognizant’s Making the Future program to host its first Summer Robotics Academy, where a group of 25 students were immersed in designing, building, and programing robots.
The 1881 Institute of Technology’s Executive Director Bahiy Watson, an engineer himself, is intent on going beyond the goal of exposing students to STEM. He recognizes the exposure piece as relevant and necessary, but sees 1881’s role as a pipeline for underrepresented populations in STEM fields to excel in engineering careers. As recently as 2012, just 4 percent of African Americans, 8 percent of Hispanics, and 18 percent of women earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering. 1881 is looking to change that.
Bahiy is passionate about cultivating talent in order to expand education and career opportunities for students, diversify the engineering field, and attract industry to Louisiana and Mississippi with a strong workforce.
Through hands on activities, field trips to the Delgado Fab Lab, and a curriculum based in industry-relevant skills, participants get deep into the knowledge and activities of an Engineer. This is our future workforce.
