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DirectEmployers Institute (DEI) brings learning to life by uniting public and private employers, schools and non-profit organizations that have a passion for creating a diversified workforce for Central Indiana students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged due to underrepresentation or disabilities. We inspire and prepare the next generation of a more diverse global workforce by bringing a simulated workplace environment directly to students in state-of-the-art, project-based STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Learning Labs and through local workplace learning programs.DEI Has Three Primary Programs:1)STEM YES!- Since 2012, we have offered our Youth Enhancement Summer Program (YES), now called STEM YES!, an intense summer program for at-risk, underrepresented Central Indiana students in grades 6 -12 to explore STEM careers in a work-based environment.2)Workplace SimulationProgram- The Workplace Simulation Program is a project in which we bring central and southern Indiana employers and schools together to show underrepresented and underexposed students what a career in STEM looks like. This program allows the students to apply their classroom learning to a real STEM problem during school hours and under the guidance and mentorship of STEM professionals. Additionally, while in the Workplace Simulation Program, students learn professional standards and employability skills.3)Job Shadows & Internships- An important part of the organization’s mission is to arrange for local employers to provide one-day to one-week job shadowing opportunities, predominantly for students in grades 8-10, and one to two semester-long internship experiences for students in grades 11 and 12. We also offer summer and semester-long internships for high school and college-age students.
