Saint Louis University in conjunction with the Jost Chemical Company have established the Clyde Miller Career Academy in an effort to increase the number of minority students who develop an interest in the field of chemistry. High school students from the St. Louis school district, which is 81 percent Black, are recruited to the summer program to work directly with university faculty on research projects. The students gain knowledge of chemistry and laboratory procedures. After successful completion of the program, the students receive paid internships at Jost Chemical during the summer after they graduate from high school.
“It isn’t easy to recruit and retain members of unrepresented groups for STEM-related jobs,” said Denise Chachere, director of human resources at Jost Chemical. “We participate in internship partnerships like these because they help to fill gaps in the pipelines necessary for businesses to reap the return on investments made in our educational systems.”
