Dr. Jose Morey’s company uses books, comics to help children from underprivileged backgrounds imagine themselves to be the next scientists, engineers and more.
NEWPORT NEWS, Virginia – A doctor in Hampton Roads is paving the way for more kids to get into science.
Dr Jose Morey says he noticed that there wasn’t a lot of diversity in his profession, and now he’s looking to change that.
“Often and many times, I would be the only one from a minority, or one of the few,” Morey said.
Morey, who practices at Newport News, is a physician by training.
But he has also worked on projects involving artificial intelligence and with NASA regarding deep space exploration. His unique background and experience has earned him the nickname “The Intergalactic Doctor”.
But throughout his career, he’s said he can’t ignore the lack of representation.
“If we want to uplift a community, we have to inspire them to take on these roles,” he said.
Born in Puerto Rico, Morey has now embarked on a new journey, inspiring children from under-represented groups to become the next explorers.
“We want to change the paradigm. We want to change the narrative. We want to create science-driven content that makes science cool, especially for underserved communities, ”he said.
Morey launched Ad Astra Media, a media company aiming to help children, starting in kindergarten, to project themselves into careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, also known as STEM.
The company, which offers free material online, offers children’s books and comics featuring young discoverers from all walks of life.
Morey believes the industry needs to be more represented when it comes to race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, and children with disabilities, among others, and his company intentionally presents ‘role models’ in this data. demographic.
Ad Astra Media also offers Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DCI, and is working on an animated series on Youtube, called Space Racers, which is designed for ages 4-6.
He says children in underserved communities don’t always see role models that look like them in STEM careers.
“[We want to] show that anyone can be a scientist, or anyone can be an astronaut. It’s not just one or two people who have to fit into a particular mold, but it’s the kind of thing kids are seeing right now, ”he said.
“Ad Astra” means in Latin “Towards the stars”.
There’s a reason Morey chose this name.
“The sky is not even the limit. It doesn’t matter where you come from, it doesn’t matter how you talk, it doesn’t matter what you look like – you can be anything you dream of,” he said.
Morey, who also works on educational materials, says many kids can’t dream what they can’t see, and he hopes that will help them envision a new world of possibilities.
To learn more and explore Ad Astra media, click here.
