Google has purchased Edlyft’s AI tutor – a generative AI co-pilot for college students studying computer science. Erika Hairston and Arnelle Ansong, two long-time friends, founded Edlyft in 2020 to support Black college students and adults enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Their digital platform connects learners to inclusive mentorship, online group tutoring, live and recorded sessions, and personalized study tools, enabling them to succeed in their classes and secure high-paying jobs. Over the past two years, Edlyft collaborated with Google through their Google Tech Exchange, teaching applied data structures to Historically
Virginia Tech’s Black College Institute (BCI), a four-day summer academic enrichment program for talented rising high school juniors and seniors, has received a silver Anthem Award in the special projects category. Since it first started, BCI has contributed to an increase in the number of Black students who matriculate at the university, from 4.5 percent of the entering freshman class in 2017 to 8.8 percent in 2021. This year, there will be two in-person BCI sessions for high school seniors, June 19-23 and June 26-30, and a virtual BCI for
