Ultra’s Long Island site works closely with local universities, primarily Stony Brook University. In May 2020, Ultra’s COVID-19 Fund provided $7,600 to support three additional placement students for 10 weeks (up to 20 hours per week each) enabling them to shadow and rotate with Ultra’s engineers and technicians to get full exposure of STEM activities within the organization.
Many STEM students attend college away from Long Island, then interview for and accept employment near their college upon graduation. Due to COVID-19, local businesses, restaurants, bars, sports stadiums, and beaches were closed, thereby most students were unable to make extra money to pay their bills or to put towards their tuition and/or books.
This initiative provided Ultra with the opportunity to reach STEM students and directly helped STEM students who had lost the ability to make money for college over the summer with traditional summer jobs.