For the past 10 summers, middle and high school students from across metro Atlanta have stepped onto [Clark Atlanta University's campus](https://www.cau.edu/)–not simply to learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics but to discover that they belong in those spaces. **Cultivating a New Generation of STEM Leaders** Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, STEM Achievers at Clark Atlanta University continues to transform the educational journeys of young scholars through immersive, hands-on learning experiences that cultivate innovation, critical thinking, and confidence. Formerly known as Verizon Innovative Learning, the university-anchored, out-of-school STEM pathway program introduces students to robotics, 3D printing, augmented and virtual reality, entrepreneurship, [engineering](https://www.cau.edu/academics/schools-departments/school-arts-sciences/arts-sciences-undergraduate-programs-3), and emerging technologies while connecting classroom concepts to real-world challenges aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Under the leadership of Robyn Baskerville Clayton, a two-time Clark Atlanta University alumna (‘02 and ‘22) and director of the program, STEM Achievers has become a model for early STEM engagement and workforce development. Since 2021, the program has secured more than $800,000 in funding while establishing strategic partnerships with organizations including the Fulton County Community Services Program, the Johnson STEM Activity Center, Georgia Tech's College of Engineering, and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship. "Middle school is a defining window for STEM engagement as the brain is developing the neural pathways that shape reasoning and problem-solving long-term. The mission of STEM Achievers is built on that understanding, connecting students to STEM education within the culturally affirming environment of Clark Atlanta University at exactly the right moment in their development," said Clayton. **Inspiring Innovation Through Experiential Learning** The program's impact extends beyond technical instruction. Through experiential learning, students are challenged to identify community issues, develop innovative solutions, and recognize their own potential as future leaders in STEM fields. "Our scholars are learning technical skills, but more importantly, they are learning to identify relatable problems and to see themselves as the ones capable of solving them," Clayton said. Throughout the summer, students engage with accomplished professionals whose career paths demonstrate the versatility of STEM education. This year's speakers included an ESPN senior writer and analyst who began his career as a biomedical engineer, an 18-year-old STEM entrepreneur and advocate, and a retired environmental engineer whose 42-year career with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency illustrated the lifelong impact of engineering and public service. "Together, those voices gave our scholars something no textbook can provide: a real and varied picture of who they can become," Clayton said. **Building Pathways Through Mentorship and Student Success** A distinguishing characteristic of STEM Achievers is its two-generation learning model, which simultaneously develops future STEM leaders and prepares Clark Atlanta University students for professional success. Undergraduate Panthers serve as paid near-peer mentors and instructional assistants, building meaningful relationships with younger scholars while strengthening their own leadership, teaching, and career-readiness skills. One of STEM Achievers' greatest strengths is its ability to create a continuum of opportunity. Rather than ending when summer concludes, the program encourages students to remain engaged with STEM education, leadership, and mentorship throughout their academic careers. "The impact of STEM Achievers is most visible in what students choose to do next. Participants have gone on to pursue STEM majors in college, and the program's reach has grown organically through word of mouth, with siblings, cousins, and neighbors returning as new participants each summer. Students who started as scholars have come back as high school mentors and then college mentors. Former college mentors are now serving in professional roles within the program as instructors, a logistics manager, and the program coordinator. Three participants from our Summer 2019 cohort are now enrolled at Clark Atlanta University, and that trajectory from middle school scholar to Panther is exactly what this program was designed to make possible," Clayton said. **Strengthening STEM Education Through University Partnerships** The initiative's success is strengthened through its close partnership with [Clark Atlanta University's Dual Degree Engineering Program](https://www.cau.edu/academics/schools-departments/school-arts-sciences/arts-sciences-undergraduate-programs-3) (DDEP), which serves as the program's academic home. Students have access to engineering laboratories, faculty expertise, and undergraduate mentors, offering an authentic university experience that is rarely available to middle school students. "The Dual Degree Engineering Program is the foundation upon which STEM Achievers is built. DDEP hosts the program at Clark Atlanta University, and that relationship goes far beyond providing spaces. DDEP faculty, staff, and students serve as mentors and speakers. Scholars have direct access to DDEP labs. And the day-to-day relationships between DDEP staff and our program create an environment in which students are immersed in engineering culture from the moment they arrive on campus. That consistent, structured presence has been central to the program's success over the past 10 years. For a middle school student to learn inside a university-based engineering program, mentored by engineering students, is an experience that no curriculum alone can replicate," Clayton said. **Expanding the Future of STEM Achievers** Not content to rest on its proverbial laurels, STEM Achievers continues to expand its vision through new institutional and philanthropic partnerships to ensure its long-term sustainability and continued community impact. "As STEM Achievers enters its second decade, the program is at an important inflection point. We are actively transitioning from corporate funding to institutional and philanthropic partnerships aligned with our long-term mission and community impact. This shift reflects our commitment to sustainability and to deepening the work rather than simply maintaining it. We are currently seeking partners, institutions, foundations, and organizations that share our belief that equitable access to STEM education is essential and that HBCUs are uniquely positioned to deliver it. If our mission resonates with you, we welcome the conversation," Clayton said. For Clayton, however, the program's greatest success cannot be measured by funding or enrollment figures alone. Instead, she hopes scholars leave the program with a lasting sense of confidence and belonging. "More than any technical experience, I want them to carry the confidence that comes from having done something real, on a university campus, surrounded by people who believed in them," she said. That confidence continues to define the legacy of STEM Achievers at Clark Atlanta University. For a decade, the program has empowered young learners to imagine themselves as engineers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers while advancing the University's commitment to academic excellence, community engagement, and preparing the next generation of leaders who will find a way or make one. ***Explore Clark Atlanta University’s Dual Degree Engineering Program and its commitment to preparing future engineering leaders through academic excellence and innovation:*** [***https://www.cau.edu/academics/schools-departments/school-arts-sciences/arts-sciences-undergraduate-programs-3***](https://www.cau.edu/academics/schools-departments/school-arts-sciences/arts-sciences-undergraduate-programs-3)***.*** ![A group of diverse, smiling people in matching white T-shirts, posing outdoors.](/sites/default/files/styles/idfive_image_gallery/public/2026-07/IMG_3068%20%281%29.jpeg?h=5e08a8b6&itok=b19cWVa1) ![Four smiling girls stand in front of a Clark Atlanta University sign.](/sites/default/files/styles/idfive_image_gallery/public/2026-07/IMG_1483%20%281%29.jpeg?h=1467a2aa&itok=FHfWmxyG) ![Group on stage, five smiling kids, one adult, casual clothing, indoor setting.](/sites/default/files/styles/idfive_image_gallery/public/2026-07/IMG_1638%20%281%29.jpeg?h=790be497&itok=g4VHNexw) ![A group of people holding certificates on a stage under a "STEM Achievers" sign.](/sites/default/files/styles/idfive_image_gallery/public/2026-07/IMG_1646%20%282%29_0.jpeg?h=790be497&itok=AQtW-i1b) Previous Next { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "ImageGallery", "name": "Image Gallery", "mainEntity": { "@type": "ItemList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "contentUrl": "https:\/\/www.cau.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/2026-07\/IMG_3068%20%281%29.jpeg", "caption": "", "description": "A group of diverse, smiling people in matching white T-shirts, posing outdoors.", "position": 1 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "contentUrl": "https:\/\/www.cau.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/2026-07\/IMG_1483%20%281%29.jpeg", "caption": "", "description": "Four smiling girls stand in front of a Clark Atlanta University sign.", "position": 2 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "contentUrl": "https:\/\/www.cau.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/2026-07\/IMG_1638%20%281%29.jpeg", "caption": "", "description": "Group on stage, five smiling kids, one adult, casual clothing, indoor setting.", "position": 3 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "contentUrl": "https:\/\/www.cau.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/2026-07\/IMG_1646%20%282%29_0.jpeg", "caption": "", "description": "A group of people holding certificates on a stage under a \"STEM Achievers\" sign.", "position": 4 } ] } } ## For Media Inquiries For media inquiries please contact Clark Atlanta University at [404-703-2914](tel:404-703-2914)