Morgan Stanley Baltimore recently celebrated the second annual graduation of its STEM Robotics Program. The event was held at Morgan Stanley’s Thames Street Wharf office in Harbor Point, where middle school students from The Crossroads School showcased the robots they had constructed during the 12-week program, under the guidance of Morgan Stanley employees.

The graduation brought together family members, school faculty, and Morgan Stanley employee volunteers to applaud the students' achievements. It marked the largest graduating class in the program's history.

“Our STEM Robotics Program introduces students to coding and robotics under the mentorship of Morgan Stanley technologists from diverse STEM backgrounds,” stated Madeline Hutchinson, Global Head of Technology Philanthropy at Morgan Stanley. “Building a robot may seem very different from building technology solutions for a global investment bank, but the fundamentals are the same.”

The after-school workshop takes place at The Crossroads School in Fells Point. Here, student participants learn MakeCode basics using Circuit Playground processors with help from Morgan Stanley employee volunteers. The program culminates with students creating robots powered by their own code.

The 2024 program saw an addition of a new level two track. Graduates from last year's level one program were invited back to learn Python, write Python code for their robots and control them using an app on a smartphone or tablet.

James Bond, CEO of Living Classrooms commented: “Witnessing students who joined the program with no coding experience quickly becoming adept coders building fully functioning robots is remarkable.” He further praised Morgan Stanley’s STEM Robotics Program as proof that through investment in STEM education and compassionate mentors, students can achieve anything they set their minds to.

Graduating students received certificates of excellence in MakeCode and Python coding and robotics design along with their own Circuit Playground processor to continue their programming journey.

Over 40 Morgan Stanley Baltimore employees donated a combined 500 hours of mentorship throughout this spring’s program. The success of this initiative has led Morgan Stanley to establish similar programs in Alpharetta, GA and Boston, MA.

“Nothing gets the next generation more interested in STEM than robots,” said Jocelyn Hordge, a Capital Markets and Core Processing Associate at Morgan Stanley. “The foundation we’ve laid through this program equips the students with the skills to become changemakers in the technology revolution."

Morgan Stanley established its presence in Baltimore in 2003. Today, it is one of the firm’s most prominent operations and technology hubs globally and a vital contributor to the city’s community. The office houses 2,000 professionals in areas including Operations, Finance, Legal & Compliance, Technology, Wealth Management, Risk Management, Firm Resilience and Internal Audit.