News
Donna Burnette

Rochester Prep High School's graduating class includes 91 students who will either continue their education or join the workforce. Eighty-five students from RIT's partner charter school will attend college in the fall, and eight of them will enroll at RIT. 

The Army Educational Outreach Program Apprenticeships and Fellowships team from Rochester Institute of Technology is aiming to enhance its portfolio of resources for participants that may provide a pathway in STEM. One of the ideas is to create a variety of interactive and original online learning modules, with a focus to support students along their journeys in science, technology, engineering and math, by offering guidance through these platforms with exposure to various insights in and out of the lab – and with constant support from RIT K-12 staff on all levels.

During a four-day national event in April that featured some of the country’s brightest young STEM scholars, the Army Educational Outreach Program Apprenticeships and Fellowships team from RIT’s K-12 University Center had the chance to be featured as an exhibitor and provide various volunteer services at the JSHS National Symposium in Virginia Beach.

Donna Burnette, executive director of the K-12 University Center at Rochester Institute of Technology, was honored during a ceremony on March 22 at Ingle Auditorium with the Dancy Duffus Award for Outstanding Citizenship. Burnette is also director of Army Educational Outreach Program Apprenticeships and Fellowships that is administered by the K-12 center on behalf of the U.S. Army.

RIT honored the service and dedication of its employees with the Presidential Awards for Outstanding Staff ceremony March 22. The annual awards are presented to staff members who exemplify outstanding service and dedication to the university and who exhibit a high degree of personal ethics and integrity while consistently demonstrating a strong commitment to student success.

While Imagine RIT aims to promote student work from those attending the university, middle school students had the opportunity in the past to also highlight science displays and other projects they have worked on through the Science and Technology Entry Program administered by the K-12 University Center at Rochester Institute of Technology. The K-12 center works to promote youth experiences at the annual festival that attracts about 30,000 guests a year to learn more – and interact with – students on campus who are highlighting the work they’ve done throughout the school year in a variety of studies.

The Army Educational Outreach Program Apprenticeships and Fellowships team was nominated for a 2022 Presidential Award for Outstanding Staff at Rochester Institute of Technology. Awards will be announced at a ceremony on March 22. Its director, who is also the executive director of RIT's K-12 University Center, was nominated for an individual award.

The Chronicle of Higher Education features RIT’s Career Ready Bootcamp, led by RIT's Spectrum Support Program. (This content requires a subscription to view.)

The K-12 University Center at RIT& runs the Apprenticeships and Fellowships division of the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP), helping high school students through post-doctoral students find positions at research labs and centers affiliated with the U.S. Army and with universities across the U.S.

Representatives from the U.S. Army look at the K-12 University Center at Rochester Institute of Technology as a model in its relationship with apprenticeships and fellowships through the Army Educational Outreach Program. That’s due to the passion of staff who work to connect with and provide the best STEM opportunities possible for high school through postdoctoral individuals within the program, while also positively connecting with its partners.

For staff of the Army Educational Outreach Program’s apprenticeships and fellowships, attending conferences is about being immersed in various communities to see how the program can support already-incredible STEM innovators and those aspiring to make a difference with the work they’re passionate about. The U.S. Army-funded program is based at the K-12 University Center at Rochester Institute of Technology.

The K-12 University Center at Rochester Institute of Technology was nominated for the 2023 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award for supporting members of the armed forces who serve or who have served in the guard or reserve. According to the award website, it is the highest recognition given by the U.S. government to employers.