Under owner Peter Angelos, the MLB’s Baltimore Orioles have donated $10 million to support various organizations in the Baltimore community. The Brooklyn O’Malley Boys & Girls Club is one of the latest recipients of their caring heart. The club’s facility will be home to a newly renovated Learning & Technology Center to serve at-risk children and underrepresented members of the community. Along with Oriole Centerfielder Adam Jones, the Baltimore Oriole Charitable Foundation donated $75,000 to expand the center that will include educational support, computer skill development and career enrichment, college preparatory and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs.
In a nutshell, STEM education serves to prepare students, commonly including underprivileged children, for employment and post secondary-education. Application of math and science skills is expected in a world that is heavily impacted by technology more and more everyday. Only 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEM-related career. If this is true, the percentage is sure to be significantly lower when it comes to younger children, especially underprivileged children. Along with the fact that half of the students who pursue a college major in the STEM fields actually go on to work in a related field shows that a bigger focus needs to be in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics areas.
There’s nothing new about the focus on STEM programs. This isn’t the first program of its’ kind and definitely won’t be the last. It’s the connection and significance involving the Baltimore Orioles, more specifically Adam Jones that makes this story so great. Jones, who was also a member of the Boys and Girls Club in San Diego, truly believes in our future, literally and figuratively. “As a kid, the Boys and Girls Club had a big impact on my life. This donation is intended to help many kids like me have a better opportunity to succeed.”
He’s not alone as President Obama launched the Education to Innovate Initiative to significantly improve the science and mathematics skill levels of the American students. Internationally, the United States is ranked 25th in mathematics and 17th in science, relatively speaking this puts us in the middle of the pack.
When you hear stories of this nature, it isn’t far-fetched to believe professional sports and teams may be able to help with education in ways other organizations cannot. Billionaire sports owners and athletes who were once those young kids are now striving to help. Philanthropy of this nature, involving the very passionate topic of education in America, can influence other teams and sports leagues to do a little bit more. Athletes are role models whether they want to be or not. Adam Jones gladly accepts the responsibility.