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Opinion: The Frustrating Disparities of STEM Education

Published

8 years ago

April 6, 2018

A diverse innovative group of youth has been selected to take part in VR Odyssey Spring Sessions, a grand leap CS / STEM program focused on exponential technology development. The youth participating in this program join top experts in breakthrough tech fields of gaming, AI, autonomous driving cars, science, math and more, helping them define the future of thinking and find solutions to problems facing our world.VR Odyssey is led by Darryl Starr, Founder / Project Director, and Reverend Robert Lacy Jr., Executive Director both devoted to putting youth in position to provoke change. The program is hosted at Saint Andrew Private School, located at 2608 West Street in West Oakland a.k.a. “Wakanda” (thanks Black Panther movie!).

By Rev. Robert Lacy, Jr. | St. Andrew Missionary Baptist Church

The current problem with STEM education programs is that technology is outpacing many program’s resources and curriculum. Technologies like VR/AR/MR and AI are prevalent throughout the industry and even some Universities are having a hard time catching up. Instructors are not familiar with cutting-edge technologies. By the time an organization realizes they need to equip young minds with new skills, even newer technologies emerge while international youth are aggressively on the road to mastering these skills.Besides that, the disparity in STEM education continues becoming vaster. The tools aren’t available in schools. Thousands of dollars from each school are required to meet the cost requirements for training youth. This dilemma seems unsurmountable—a race against time and budget.

VR Odyssey solves this problem by bringing experts from companies that create the most advanced technology to our youth. Students work with those experts on tomorrow’s problems they are trying to solve today.

The students see what it takes to do the job and process behind thinking innovatively. The Experts and students perspectives are broadened and a richer, more diverse job talent and the entrepreunuerial pool is grown.

Make world class execution available for everyone.

Our mission is to empower users like you and me to make our day-to-day routines more efficient by using technology as our best ally—and not something only available to tech people.
VR Odyssey mission is to empower youth in the East Bay and immerse them in tech startup routines of thinking efficiently by using technology as an asset—demystifying what it takes to build the products they use and games they play everyday.

Over the last seven years, VR Odyssey has been successful in that mission, originally starting at Realm Charter School in Berkeley, then at the Glover Center in East Oakland, and now relocated in Wakanda, again a.k.a. West Oakland. Thanks to the runaway success.

Every Saturday, for the next ten weeks, youths will build games for VR/AR/MR and software for autonmous driving cars learning world class execution methods in an accessible format using a new educational learning platform pioneered by VR Odyssey. AI (Artificial Intelligence) assistance helps students learn with less friction enabling them to take on greater challenges faster.

Designing our own future will change the game

It’s not just about making video games or helping cars drive themselves but future-proofing our kids with the latest technologies helping them to stand with the best-of-breed around the world in competition for new jobs. Everyone deserves to have a chance at these jobs entering their communities and VR Odyssey is here to help youth prove their value in the highly competitive tech space.

The top future jobs candidates won’t just need to know technical fundamentals but they’ll need to be aware of the cultures these products connect to. This is the power of diversity initiatives and an advantage that our youth already have as they are in the majority of the consumer space. VR Odyssey is to become a Transformation Manager of the New Media markets. Its flexible curriculum and fun, engaging learning culture improve our youth productivity and quality of learning experience.

Making the world 1000x better.

Now it’s time to join together and support our youth writing this next chapter. Join us in supporting the VR Odyssey team bringing experience from video game and tech industry with your donations and investments helping them to create world-class products and careers in tech. With our communities’ injection of capital and know-how, we’ll improve our world here and now to provide the tech world with even better chances to continue leading the world in solving complex problems.

How can you can you help? Keep sharing the word widely! Donate to VR Odyssey today by contacting (510) 467-9621 or emailing tloj35@gmail.com.

Stay tuned for more of this journey that’s on the horizon!

Related Topics:Education Oakland Opinion STEM

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Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

7 months ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Special to The Post

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department (Oakland HCD) announced its awardees for the 2024-2025 New Construction of Multifamily Affordable Housing Notice of Funding Availability (New Construction NOFA) today Five permanently affordable housing developments received awards out of 24 applications received by the Department, with award amounts ranging from $7 million to $28 million.

In a statement released on Jan. 16, Oakland’s HCD stated, “Five New Construction Multifamily Affordable Housing Development projects awarded a total of $80.5 million to develop 583 affordable rental homes throughout Oakland. Awardees will leverage the City’s investments to apply for funding from the state and private entities.”

In December, the office of Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 City Councilmember, worked with HCD to allocate an additional $10 Million from Measure U to the funding pool. The legislation also readopted various capital improvement projects including street paving and upgrades to public facilities.

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is the media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Activism

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

12 months ago

January 30, 2025

Oakland Post

Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 city councilmember. File photo.

Special to The Post

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units, including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Alameda County

Oakland Acquisition Company’s Acquisition of County’s Interest in Coliseum Property on the Verge of Completion

The Board of Supervisors is committed to closing the deal expeditiously, and County staff have worked tirelessly to move the deal forward on mutually agreeable terms. The parties are down to the final details and, with the cooperation of OAC and Coliseum Way Partners, LLC, the Board will take a public vote at an upcoming meeting to seal this transaction.

Published

1 year ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Haubert. Official photo.

Special to The Post

The County of Alameda announced this week that a deal allowing the Oakland Acquisition Company, LLC, (“OAC”) to acquire the County’s 50% undivided interest in the Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum complex is in the final stages of completion.

Oakland has already finalized a purchase and sale agreement with OAC for its interest in the property. OAC’s acquisition of the County’s property interest will achieve two longstanding goals of the County:

The Oakland-Alameda Coliseum complex will finally be under the control of a sole owner with capacity to make unilateral decisions regarding the property; and
The County will be out of the sports and entertainment business, free to focus and rededicate resources to its core safety net

In an October 2024 press release from the City of Oakland, the former Oakland mayor described the sale of its 50% interest in the property as an “historic achievement” stating that the transaction will “continue to pay dividends for generations to come.”

The Board of Supervisors is pleased to facilitate single-entity ownership of this property uniquely centered in a corridor of East Oakland that has amazing potential.

“The County is committed to bringing its negotiations with OAC to a close,” said Board President David Haubert.