Today, Object Computing (OCI) and the St. Louis County Library announced OCI’s investment of approximately $150,000 to support the Library’s Career Online High School Program and Teen Maker Space programs.
Components of the sponsorship include:
- The Career Online High School (COHS) Program enables participants to earn an accredited high school diploma while gaining real-world career training through a flexible, supportive, online education program. OCI is sponsoring fifty scholarships to be awarded to women and minority applicants over the next five years.
- The St. Louis County Library Headquarters Teen Maker Space will be a 5,400 square-foot learning and activity center to be constructed in the library's headquarters in Ladue, Missouri by end of 2022. The OCI-sponsored Teen Maker Space will be designed around six core concepts: Imagine, Compose, Create, Build, Play, and Solve. It will offer a variety of activities for young adults, including media tables, a recording studio, 3D printers, virtual reality programming tutorials, and coding-related kits and gadgets.
“These programs endeavor to make our Community stronger, by ensuring a strong educational foundation and offering opportunities for more specialized training in job markets with higher demand and growth, such as technology. The Library is building and enabling an untapped workforce; as a local employer and citizen, we are honored to assist,” said Gina Bremehr, Chief Operating Officer at OCI. “There is no question, this program will transform the lives of students.”
“By connecting with an individual’s interests and curiosity, St. Louis County Library nurtures inventiveness and originality,” said Kristen Sorth, St. Louis County Library Director. “OCI’s sponsorship will support the Library’s role as an incubator for youth development through active engagement in services such as programming, mentorship, and more.”
“We are in the business of helping our clients reimagine the transformation and value they can achieve using smart and connecting technologies. The Library is doing the same thing for our youth. Exciting times, indeed.” said Bremehr.
More than 90,000 adults in the St. Louis area currently do not have a high school diploma. More than 59% of St. Louis County residents age 25 years and over without a high school diploma have incomes below the poverty level. The average rate of unemployment for those without a high school diploma is 34.5% in St. Louis City and County.
Learn more about how we partner with clients to reimagine solutions using enabling technologies in the areas of machine learning, internet of things, blockchain, and cloud engineering.
