“The coach quit,” said founder and executive director Randy McCain when he was asked about how this dynamic organization got started.
“My kids did not want their dreams to stop.”
This significant event in his own children’s life was an important inspiration for Randy and his wife Brenda for starting Metro Warriors STEM in 2013. Metro Warriors STEM exposes underrepresented students ages 6-17 to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) programs all year round in after school programs in numerous locations in the Washington DC metropolitan area.
Randy, an experienced electrical engineer who is employed as a telecommunication infrastructure and database manager, believes in a hands on approach to learning. “Think”, he comments, “ you have to use math when you are constructing a robot or you are building a device out of lego blocks.” “And,” he notes, “sports is not the only place where you can get really pumped up about being in a competition.”
Today, the organization’s activities touch 300-400 students a week. Randy reminds us that it is important to start this intervention early on. Starting at a young age supplements what they learn in the formal classroom. Communities build organizations. Metro Warriors and their STEM related activities enrich the lives of students and teachers and show us the possibilities of where learning can lead.
