Family STEAM Enrichment Program

K-12 STEAM education

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Children in low-income communities frequently have less exposure to STEAM education than their wealthier peers. Elementary schools in our area do not provide STEAM activities and, moreover, they now use laptops in the classroom and for standardized testing. Many of the children we serve do not have laptops at home, which impacts their school and test performance. Lack of exposure to STEAM education limits future opportunities for higher education and well-paying jobs – as demonstrated by Black and Latinx adults being underrepresented in STEM jobs.
The vast majority of the children in our program not only come from low-income families, but have parents who are recent immigrants with limited English skills and formal education – few graduated from high school and many never completed elementary school. They have an earnest desire to better support their children’s academic success, but do not have the educational backgrounds nor the knowledge of local resources to do so on their own.

Our program engages children in grades K-2 and their parents in a free program designed to expose children to STEAM activities from a young age and equip them with the interdisciplinary skills needed to one day access college and high-paying jobs, ultimately helping to end generational poverty. Components include:
• Children’s program – Each day, children receive help with their schoolwork and at least one hour of STEAM education and activities designed to expose them to and expand their knowledge of STEAM, coding, and technology use (e.g., laptops, iPads, keyboards, internet). The program runs Monday-Thursday, 3-6pm and serves 30 children.
• Parent program – While children are in class, their parents participate in parenting workshops and family advocacy services aimed at teaching them how to support their child’s education. Parents are encouraged to promote exploration and experimentation at home, thereby reinforcing STEAM learning outcomes for children. They are also empowered to advocate for their children's educational needs, including access to STEAM resources and opportunities.
In June 2024, we will have completed the first full year of our program. It began as an afterschool program for children. We added the parent component based on our core value that parents are the most important factor in ensuring educational success for their children. We are the only organization in South Los Angeles that offers a free STEAM Program for this age group with a parent component.

Our vision for success is that children coming out of our program will have developed essential skills supported by STEAM education, including critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, collaboration, communication, technical skills, adaptability, resilience, scientific literacy, and mathematical proficiency. These skills will give them a greater opportunity for academic, professional, and personal success throughout their lives. Their parents will have the ability to reinforce these skills at home, improved parenting skills, and a strong parent network that enhances social connections and facilitates resource exchange. On a larger scale, we will contribute towards cultivating future innovators and leaders in South Los Angeles, promoting economic growth and social mobility while reducing disparities in educational outcomes.
As our program is new and we are focused on fine-tuning certain elements, we have no plans for expansion. However, we hope to be a model for scaling.

At the start of the program year, we administer a pre-test for children that assesses their knowledge in math, reading, English, STEAM, and coding. Examples of areas assessed include the ability to understand multiplication and place value, and how to recognize patterns, complete three-digit addition and subtraction problems, and read/comprehend paragraphs. The tests are administered again at the end of the year. Tests are age-based, with more challenging questions as children move up in grades.
For parents, we utilize pre- and post-tests for specific lessons. Additionally, a dedicated family advocate collaborates with parents to identify individual needs and facilitate connections to appropriate support services, with tracking of referrals and linkages.