Photo by JerJuan Green: Participants of St. Pete Strong Conference.
Academic advisors act as human roadmaps for college students struggling to decide which courses and electives are right for their majors. JerJuan Green is no stranger to helping students, both in the classroom and in the community.
As an academic advisor at St. Petersburg Collegiate STEM High School, Green diligently works to help students understand the importance of STEM/STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) education and how to apply what they learn to everyday scenarios. Through their understanding, he believes students will have a better grasp of real-world scenarios that will help them thrive outside of school.
“I hear students say all the time, ‘I’m not going to use that math,’” he acknowledged. For Green, “making it more relatable to them and seeing that math is something that you’re going to use on an everyday basis,” is vital.
Green reminds students that not understanding math can hurt them as they navigate their finances, whether from the simple task of adding the total cost of groceries to understanding numbers in a legally binding contract.
“If you don’t use math, you’re going to end up paying somebody to use that math,” warns Green.
Green insists that STEAM is the future and sees AI (Artificial Intelligence) playing a crucial role in our society. He believes that AI is a tool that can benefit students if they learn to take control of, rather than be controlled by, its seemingly unlimited capabilities.
“I look at AI the same way I would look at a hammer; it’s a tool. The hammer itself is not going to do the job, but it is going to assist you in getting the job done,” said Green.
He also wants students to understand the shortcomings of AI, and believes educating them for the future of AI means helping them “learn how to be the person that repairs them, or the person that programs them,” said Green. Preparing them for the future includes ensuring that they know how “to pivot – and be able to make yourself invaluable to that workforce.”
No stranger to mentorship and youth guidance, beyond his educational career, Green has committed to serving his local community through volunteering.
Green served 13 years as the director of Virginia M. Leonard’s Community Education Center (VMLCEC). In his role at the non-profit community hub, Green supported the local community through the Educational Support Developmental Services (ESDS).
Green also served on the board of the Barbershop Book Club, started by business owner Antonio Brown (now the Competitive Readers Coalition), and has helped Deonte Thompson’s Dreamfaith Foundation organize the annual St. Pete Strong Conference, a college prep experience for middle and high school students, intended to expose them to the college experience.
Green is still active in helping put together a team for this summer’s St. Pete Brain Bowl, an annual event that trains and prepares students to test their knowledge and win prizes such as college scholarships.
A fierce advocate of creating pathways for students to succeed in an ever-demanding technological future, Green remains excited for what this year brings as he continues to explore new ways to help students flourish and evolve in the STEAM field.
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Photo by JerJuan Green: Participants of St. Pete Strong Conference.
To share news with the Power Broker, connect with reachout@powerbrokermagazine.com. To sign up for our twice-weekly e-newsletter, visit www.powerbrokermagazine.com; and to join our online conversation, subscribe to our YouTube channel at Power Broker Media Group – YouTube.
Photo by JerJuan Green: Green (center, second row) and team, winners of the annual Brain Bowl event.
