Faith Partnership Inc. (d.b.a. Science Certainly Is Fun Initiative (SCI-FI))

* Sci-Fi engages youth in fun, educational, hands-on science projects.
* Sci-Fi challenges the negative stereotypes, inadequate opportunities and cultural norms that intimidate young people and adults and discourage them from participating and performing well in science.
* Sci-Fi brings together youth of color, urban and low- income youth with adults and university students to design and engage in creative and educational science projects.


Constituency


* Sci-Fi's constituency consists of youth (girls and boys aged 5-17) living in urban areas, youth of color and low-income youth in Massachusetts and their parents or other involved adults.
* According to the US Census Bureau, urban locations in Massachusetts include the metro areas of Barnstable, Boston, Leominster, Fitchburg, New Bedford, Pittsfield, Springfield and Worcester.
* Of the just over 6.4 million people in Massachusetts, approximately 5.4% are black or African American, 0.2% are Native American, 3.8% are Asian, and 6.8% are Hispanic/Latino.
* 9.3% of Massachusetts residents and 113,000 children aged 5-17 are in families in poverty in Massachusetts

The youth in Sci-Fi will benefit by combating the limits placed on their academic achievement as a group. They will be involved with designing and implementing innovative science projects that will boost their sense of self-esteem, intelligence and ability to succeed. They will design mechanisms to shatter myths that undermine their collective capacity to excel in science