52 Weeks of STEM… Paving the Road to Success
We expose young people to information and knowledge about STEM fields of education through learning and engagement using informal STEM learning environments over a 52-week period.
Every week our group of students is engaged in an activity that will open their minds to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These activities include museum visits, techie talks, lunch and learns with college students pursuing a STEM degree, STEM themed movie showings, standardized test prep courses just to name a few.
These activities involve the parent(s) as well as the child. By engaging both the parent and the child, the pursuit of information and education carry on beyond the Saturday activity and into the upcoming week.
Every week our group of students is engaged in an activity that will open their minds to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These activities include museum visits, techie talks, lunch and learns with college students pursuing a STEM degree, STEM themed movie showings, standardized test prep courses just to name a few.
These activities involve the parent(s) as well as the child. By engaging both the parent and the child, the pursuit of information and education carry on beyond the Saturday activity and into the upcoming week.
Event Day!
Each group has a 52-week curriculum, so they know what to expect and how to prepare for the upcoming week’s activity. When our groups of 6 students and their parent(s) come together for the event, we start with breakfast and share the details for the day.
For example, on museum day, we congregate at the museum where we enjoy breakfast and meet with our museum guide to start our tour. Imagine the excitement on a child’s face as she walks through the museum doors, eyes wide open in awe and wonderment, discovering knowledge that has the potential to expand her possibilities far beyond her current circumstance. The museum visit concludes with lunch and a visit to the museum gift shop for a souvenir. This event could be the spark to ignite her interest in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics and set her course for a lifetime of success.
Through this event as well as the others, we pull our small groups into a world filled with information that they may not otherwise be exposed. After each event, the students are enlightened, informed, stimulated and excited about the upcoming week’s event.
Why Weekly Events for STEM?
We agree with today’s progressive educators who contend that real learning only occurs when the whole person is engaged. These events engage students’ sense of sight, smell, hearing and touch, allowing them to absorb knowledge in ways that are natural to how they individually learn. We call this engagement-based learning, which gives them a deeper learning experience on which they can creatively build as they learn.
Our objective is to enlighten and stimulate students so they ingest a visceral understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math … empowering them to go beyond the intellectual surface to a deeper knowledge that they own. We know that all young people are capable of self-learning, and we aim to empower that ability.
Click Here to see our calendar of events
Who We Serve
The students in our small groups need more than a one-off experience. All have experienced homelessness or other significant challenges, so we stay together for an entire year. We embark on new expeditions almost every Saturday and, funding permitted, a full week of STEM summer camp. We visit museums many times over, plus zoos, aquariums, and university campuses to learn about the world and opportunities for their future.
Through all of this, of course, we create that special mentor-student relationship that supports our young people to open up and learn about a new world of possibility that says
“Your current circumstance doesn’t have to be your future...It’s up to you, and we’re here to support you.”
These young people don’t need a second chance, they need a first. Although the U.S. Department of Education states that “A child's zip code should not determine their STEM fluency.,” we all know that it does.
A child’s life circumstances determine their ability to come to class, sit still in class, intake and retain information, and make use of it beyond regurgitation, just to name a very few of many factors. A child’s zip code can’t help but determine their STEM fluency unless they are given a significant intervention to which they can relate.
Why STEM, Why Now?
The STEM Educational Fund addresses two intertwined needs. The first is humanitarian, the second concerns America’s workforce readiness.
The Humanitarian Need
Children and youth who lack exposure to career opportunities have little chance to rise above their circumstance. We are currently developing a webpage on this site with data that paints a clear picture of our students’ need for a substantial intervention if they are to succeed in life.
America’s Workforce Need
As technology plays an increasingly important role in commerce, so do careers that require strong STEM readiness. The U.S. is already experiencing skills shortages and recruitment difficulties. These problems are likely to get worse as the demand for STEM skills and occupations increases due to the increasingly pivotal role these skills and jobs play in economic development.
When young people who have struggled under challenging life circumstances receive the opportunities they need to succeed, they frequently become highly resourceful and creative, qualities that are necessary for a successful career and life.
Help Us Give These Young People a First Chance!
Would you like to offer a “first chance” to a young student? The average cost associated with our most expensive excursions, the museum events, is $100.00 per student and their parent(s); other weekends are more affordable. The cost of an entire year for one child is roughly $4,500.
Please invest in the future of our bright children. They are eager to absorb the knowledge that will enhance not just their quality of life, but ours too. It’s a win-win opportunity for us all.
Here some of the expected resultant benefits of the program:
Program Enhancements
Each group has a 52-week curriculum, so they know what to expect and how to prepare for the upcoming week’s activity. When our groups of 6 students and their parent(s) come together for the event, we start with breakfast and share the details for the day.
For example, on museum day, we congregate at the museum where we enjoy breakfast and meet with our museum guide to start our tour. Imagine the excitement on a child’s face as she walks through the museum doors, eyes wide open in awe and wonderment, discovering knowledge that has the potential to expand her possibilities far beyond her current circumstance. The museum visit concludes with lunch and a visit to the museum gift shop for a souvenir. This event could be the spark to ignite her interest in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics and set her course for a lifetime of success.
Through this event as well as the others, we pull our small groups into a world filled with information that they may not otherwise be exposed. After each event, the students are enlightened, informed, stimulated and excited about the upcoming week’s event.
Why Weekly Events for STEM?
We agree with today’s progressive educators who contend that real learning only occurs when the whole person is engaged. These events engage students’ sense of sight, smell, hearing and touch, allowing them to absorb knowledge in ways that are natural to how they individually learn. We call this engagement-based learning, which gives them a deeper learning experience on which they can creatively build as they learn.
Our objective is to enlighten and stimulate students so they ingest a visceral understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math … empowering them to go beyond the intellectual surface to a deeper knowledge that they own. We know that all young people are capable of self-learning, and we aim to empower that ability.
Click Here to see our calendar of events
Who We Serve
The students in our small groups need more than a one-off experience. All have experienced homelessness or other significant challenges, so we stay together for an entire year. We embark on new expeditions almost every Saturday and, funding permitted, a full week of STEM summer camp. We visit museums many times over, plus zoos, aquariums, and university campuses to learn about the world and opportunities for their future.
Through all of this, of course, we create that special mentor-student relationship that supports our young people to open up and learn about a new world of possibility that says
“Your current circumstance doesn’t have to be your future...It’s up to you, and we’re here to support you.”
These young people don’t need a second chance, they need a first. Although the U.S. Department of Education states that “A child's zip code should not determine their STEM fluency.,” we all know that it does.
A child’s life circumstances determine their ability to come to class, sit still in class, intake and retain information, and make use of it beyond regurgitation, just to name a very few of many factors. A child’s zip code can’t help but determine their STEM fluency unless they are given a significant intervention to which they can relate.
Why STEM, Why Now?
The STEM Educational Fund addresses two intertwined needs. The first is humanitarian, the second concerns America’s workforce readiness.
The Humanitarian Need
Children and youth who lack exposure to career opportunities have little chance to rise above their circumstance. We are currently developing a webpage on this site with data that paints a clear picture of our students’ need for a substantial intervention if they are to succeed in life.
America’s Workforce Need
As technology plays an increasingly important role in commerce, so do careers that require strong STEM readiness. The U.S. is already experiencing skills shortages and recruitment difficulties. These problems are likely to get worse as the demand for STEM skills and occupations increases due to the increasingly pivotal role these skills and jobs play in economic development.
When young people who have struggled under challenging life circumstances receive the opportunities they need to succeed, they frequently become highly resourceful and creative, qualities that are necessary for a successful career and life.
Help Us Give These Young People a First Chance!
Would you like to offer a “first chance” to a young student? The average cost associated with our most expensive excursions, the museum events, is $100.00 per student and their parent(s); other weekends are more affordable. The cost of an entire year for one child is roughly $4,500.
Please invest in the future of our bright children. They are eager to absorb the knowledge that will enhance not just their quality of life, but ours too. It’s a win-win opportunity for us all.
Here some of the expected resultant benefits of the program:
- Boost in self-esteem
- Increase in productivity
- Willingness to take pride and care for oneself
- Life-long friendships
- Network building
Program Enhancements
- Local STEM related internships
- Mobile-friendly STEM related material/Virtual Tools
- Mid-week engagement for tutoring and test prep courses