SHOUT Program: High school robotics innovators

K-12 STEAM Education

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

Community violence impacts Boyle Heights, a community that has experienced generational poverty from decades of systemic racism and explicit or implicit structural exclusion. SHOUT provides free after school academic enrichment and recreational activities such as tutoring, STEAM clubs, and English Learning Clubs. We enable youth to be academically successful and great leaders in their community. Evaluations of Salesian's SHOUT Program at Roosevelt High School by ERC (Evaluation, Research and Cyber-Solutions), LAUSD's outside evaluator for its Beyond the Bell Programs, show that students that participate SHOUT for at least 31 days had better academic outcomes than non-participants. The percentage of SHOUT participants who met or exceeded the State standard on the CAASP (California Assessment of Student Performance) was 20.6% greater than non-participants in English-Language Arts and 12.5% greater in Math. SHOUT participants also earned 22.8% more credits than non-participants.

Our SHOUT program, along with our other programs, created rich tradition in education that continues to this day. Salesian has been operating Beyond the Bell (BTB) after school programs on Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) school campuses for over 12 years, and prior to that had been providing after school programs at Hollenbeck Middle School. Our vision is to offer high-quality youth development programs that provide academic support, educational enrichment, physical enrichment, and mentoring. Programs address the aspirations and needs of the youth we serve. Activities are designed to empower, inspire, and support children and youth to learn, grow, and reach for their dreams. At Salesian, we address the "Whole Child" and continue to provide necessary support and a pathway to a bright future. As one of the oldest youth centers, we have expanded our geographic reach from a single neighborhood in the Los Angeles Latino Eastside. Our years of experience, the size of the organization and the quality and impact of our programs make Salesian one of the largest private daily service providers to at-risk youth in the Los Angeles and one of the premier educational organizations in the Los Angeles area. We continue to provide for today's youth with our core programs: (1) We Care: an after-school program for children ages 5 to 12; (2) SHOUT (Striving to Heighten Outcomes by Uniting Teens): 3) Camp Salesian: a full-day summer camp program for children (K to 6th grade).

We address the "Whole Child" and continue to provide necessary support and a pathway to a bright future. Our years of experience, the size of the organization and the quality and impact of our programs make Salesian one of the largest private daily service providers to at-risk youth in the Los Angeles and one of the premier educational organizations in the Los Angeles area. Many disadvantaged students in urban environments lack the day-to-day experiences that stimulate their intellectual development. Afterschool opportunities, especially STEAM, have positive effects on academic success, social behavior, and provide opportunities for enrichment for at-risk students. Inner-city youth have fewer programs from which to choose than those in the suburbs. Urban youth often turn to gangs and the drug trade for protection, friends, and job opportunities due to lack of parental authority.

Evaluations of Salesian's SHOUT Program at Roosevelt High School by ERC (Evaluation, Research and Cyber-Solutions), LAUSD's outside evaluator for its Beyond the Bell Programs, show that students that participate SHOUT for at least 31 days had better academic outcomes than non-participants. The percentage of SHOUT participants who met or exceeded the State standard on the CAASP (California Assessment of Student Performance) was 20.6% greater than non-participants in English-Language Arts and 12.5% greater in Math. SHOUT participants also earned 22.8% more credits than non-participants. In 2021, Salesian established a partnership with Boyle Heights STEM Academy to bring the program on their campus during the school day. Salesians College and Career Access Program prepares youth for success in college and the workforce. We regularly evaluate student progress and adjust the curriculum as needed; get feedback from students, instructors, and mentors to continuously improve the program.