About

You could help build the neXsim app in the Spring '23 semester! Read more about the project below.

We all hear the news and read the stories — another homicide, another victim, another balloon release. Birmingham is no stranger to the gun violence pandemic. According to bhamwiki.com, 59% of criminal homicides involving guns were committed by someone 25 years and younger as of October 16, 2022. Of those cases, 84% were committed by a black male whose average age was 21 years old. 

Gun violence is a particularly painful topic for the G. W. Carver High School community. Tragically, since the spring of 2021, 4 Carver Rams have fallen in senseless acts of gun violence.  

What can be done about the gun violence issue? National research organizations like The John Hopkins Center for Gun Violence and Prevention Institute recommend job training opportunities, education programs, and employment programs with mentorship, especially for young people. Local sentiment echos that from across the nation. Activists, city officials, and even victims' families are all saying the same thing: our youth need something to do. 

neXsim is an extracurricular engagement app where students develop skills and interests that lead to positive pathways after high school. The goal is to increase the number of students who are prepared for meaningful educational or career opportunities after high school, thereby minimizing the impact of negative influences on students' lives. The neXsim app is for Birmingham City Schools students, but initial implementation will be limited to Carver High School students. 

The work of building the neXsim app will be completed in the second semester of the 2022-2023 school year. A team of students will work closely with a dedicated tech professional from our primary partner, Ed Farm. If you are a student who is interested in working with the neXsim project in coding, social media management, marketing, planning, content creation, financial management, or any other capacity, please complete the neXsim Interest Form. Adults who have an interest in mentoring a group of high school students in a particular job/career skill or interest, please complete the neXsim Interest Form as well. 

None of this work would be possible without the generous support of the Altec Corporation. Every Fall, Altec hosts the Altec Innovation Challenge, where students work with Altec volunteers, community volunteers, and faculty to identify a problem facing their school or community that can be solved using a STEM-based solution. The winning team's school is awarded $10,000 to implement their plan in the following semester. A huge Thank You goes to Altec for making it possible for our students to positively impact their communities and the world!