Verizon Innovative Learning, a suite of programs and resources, has announced that it is expanding its free project-based enrichment program: Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers.

Previously two separate programs, Young Men of Color and Young Rural Women, the new Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program, in partnership with the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), will now offer a choice of one 4-week or two 3-week summer enrichment programs while continuing to provide middle school students in under-resourced communities with the opportunity to discover new problem-solving skills and gain exposure to careers in STEM fields.

Since 2015, the newly-renamed Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program has offered an inclusive and engaging, hands-on experience developed to enrich learning through design thinking, 3D printing, augmented reality, social entrepreneurship, and mentorship.

The program’s interactive curriculum, developed by Verizon in partnership with Arizona State University’s Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, centers around four educational tracks: immersive media, smart solutions, digital product innovations, and artificial intelligence.

The program is held in partnership with and on the campuses of a total of 44 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and community colleges across the country.

Over the last decade, working through nonprofit partners, Verizon Innovative Learning has committed $1 billion in market value to support digital equity and inclusion within education for some of the most vulnerable populations across the country.

To date, the initiative has reached more than 1.5 million students at schools across the U.S., including Title I schools, and provided hundreds of schools with connectivity and next-gen technologies that bring innovative lesson plans to life.