NBC Cleveland | February 7, 2011

CHICAGO — Project SYNCERE, an innovative program in Chicago, is giving young African American students a jump start in math and science by making engineering concepts fun.

A lesson on velocity taught by racing wooden vehicles with CDs for wheels. The prize isn’t money, but it’s just as rich — an education.

A group of students connecting the dots and cracking the concepts of physics.

“You don’t just have to sit down in the classroom and write and write and write. It’s kind of cool because we actually get to do hands-on work,” said Jamaine Smith, a 7th grader at Dumas Academy on Chicago’s south side.

Smith is just one student active in the programs of Project SYNCERE.

SYNCERE stands for Supporting Youth’s Needs with Core Engineering Research Experiments. The program teaches students the key math and science skills that engineers use every day.  (Read more)