OREANDA-NEWS. Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) is supporting the development of Caribbean students by providing opportunities to participate in an upcoming Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) scholarship program through a partnership with the Barbados Association of Atlanta Scholarship Committee, the Caribbean Diaspora for Science, Technology and Innovation (CADSTI-SE) and the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

ЃgIt is important to foster the region's economic development and one of the ways to achieve this is by supporting the education of talented youth. It is exciting to co-host a conversation with distinguished panelists from MIT and Harvard who will present their experiences of three years of work with a Diaspora-supported model of STEM Education for High School students in the Caribbean,Ѓh said Maria Fernanda Price, Delta's general manager for the Caribbean. ЃgIn 2015 Delta will help to provide a selected group of students the opportunity to participate in a life-changing educational experience in Barbados.Ѓh

The Student Program for Innovation in Science and Engineering is an intensive, four-week residential summer program in Barbados for gifted Caribbean high-school students, and draws from the top scholars in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math in the region. The program is designed to nurture and support these youths' natural talent and encourage them to stay in STEM disciplines.

The 2015 edition of the Student Program for Innovation in Science and Engineering was presented at a conference in Atlanta hosted by the Barbados Association of Atlanta, the Caribbean Science Foundation, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., and Delta on November 22. That same day, an Independence & Scholarship Award Gala was held in Atlanta, celebrating 48 years of Barbados' independence and enjoying the attendance of representatives from the aforementioned organizations, as well as the BarbadosЃL Honorable Consul Dr. Edward A. Layne and Vice Consul David D.Cutting.

Amongst the panelists presented were Prof. Cardinal Warde of the MIT and Monica Silenzi, project coordinator, National Directorate for International Relations in the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovative Production (MINCYT) Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Delta's participation in this educational program is part of its commitment to be an integral part of the life of the communities we serve and to be a catalyst for growth in the region. Starting Dec. 4, Delta will launch its new nonstop routes from its international hubs in JFK-New York and Atlanta to Sir Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados.