Beginning in July 2025, the University at Buffalo will provide free summer learning to 90 high school students who identify as refugees, underprivileged or low-income, primarily from Buffalo Public Schools, through the Education Pathways Summer Program.

The Education Pathways Summer Program seeks to serve underrepresented high school students in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, drone technology and Internet of Things (IoT), a network of physical devices that are embedded with sensors, software and network connectivity, allowing them to collect and share data.

“This project intends to tap into the tremendous hidden talent that exists within the youth refugee and other underprivileged populations in Western New York and provide them with the opportunity to excel in multiple emerging STEM technologies,” said Sreyasee Das Bhattacharjee, PhD, assistant professor of teaching in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, who is leading the project. “It also is meant to cultivate qualified, next-generation workers in these high-demand fields.”

No specialized STEM background is required to participate, and students will be selected based on their fourth-grade math test performance on state tests. 

The Education Pathways Summer Program is expected to last three summers.