Over the past year, UAMS Institute for Digital Health and Innovation (IDHI) and BioVentures partnered with J.A. Fair K–8 Preparatory Academy through a grant awarded by the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and Comcast to implement an after-school program designed to enhance college and career readiness.
Dr. Melony Stokes, DNP, RNC-OB, Dr. Anthony Gunderman, Ph.D. in Robotics, Adria Abella Villafranca, B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and Samual Wilcox, Ph.D. candidate in Robotics, collaborated with the school district to execute the program aimed to bridge the skills and opportunity gap, promote economic mobility, and lay the groundwork for generational wealth in under-resourced communities through equitable access to digital tools and skills training. Leveraging the team’s diverse expertise, students explored health conditions prevalent in Arkansas and examined how telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and digital technologies can address these issues.
In addition to health and technology topics, students were introduced to foundational concepts in robotics and coding. They had the opportunity to design, build, and program robots to complete specific tasks. The program culminated in a year-end showcase on June 18, 2025, where students demonstrated the skills, they had acquired to an audience of parents, teachers, and peers.
