STEAM Guide to the Galaxy

2BCF's STEAM programming is being used locally in over 180 preK-12 schools, over half of them Title I schools. When COVID-19 halted our in-school programming, we immediately pivoted to converting our Project Playbooks to virtual platforms. This experience showed us how few resources there are where teachers, students and parents can access remotely innovative curriculum-related project-based learning. When we looked into distance learning for special needs kids, we discovered even less. With distance learning, beyond adapting to learning from home, the special needs child has to learn from a voice on a computer. What we are hearing from many parents is that kids are simply opting out. Our children are falling dangerously behind in their STEAM skills. The marketplace needs resources for playful learning where these skills are developed through play both in the classroom and from home.

2BCF is committed to providing high-quality, innovative educational resources to all students regardless of race, gender, income, ability status or delivery format. As such, we are continuing to build our growing online library, which we call “STEAM Guide to the Galaxy.” The library already contains five Project Playbooks that contain hundreds of standards-aligned project-based-learning activities that can be done alone, as a class, online, or by families. In response to a troubling lack of online resources for students with different learning abilities, we will be adapting each Playbook for students with special needs, and all future Playbooks will come with a special needs companion. And, since we don't believe in all work and no fun, we are adapting our 2020 Two Bit Circus Remote quiz show program to offer a playful collection of STEAM games and challenges for the whole family. Using the live streaming gameshow platform, we have developed a virtual STEAM Carnival that includes our gameshow, quizzes, classes, clown calisthenics, and more - a fully immersive online Carnival designed to replace the Science Fair. Our premise is that you get the science enthusiasts to attend a Science Fair, while everyone wants to go to a Carnival! In person or online, we will educate while entertaining and engaging students.

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

With this grant, 2BCF will complete our STEAM projects adding to the 5 current Playbooks. Los Angeles teachers, students and families will have a rich resource of project-based and playful educational assets, including for students with special needs. As dedicated and innovative as our local teachers are, no one can deny that we were all caught short with the conversion to distance-learning. For special needs teachers, it was even more challenging. 2BCF believes that even when schools re-open distance learning will remain a valuable asset. With our intellectual heart grounded in standards-aligned playful learning, 2BCF is uniquely qualified to fill this need through our STEAM Guide to the Galaxy that will support all teachers, students and families, regardless of geography. Our kids can enjoy developing their STEAM skills, teachers can breathe easier, and Los Angeles will become the center of the creative in class and distance learning universe.

When delivering curriculum to preK-12 classrooms in Los Angeles Counties, 2BCF has used pre-then-post surveys to gauge the receptivity and effectiveness of the curriculum. 2BCF will continue using that technique as we continue to develop options for the Project Playbook library. Once adapted, we will test run the special needs curriculum in one LA County school district. Our special needs consultant is working with us to design the survey which will be administered by special education teachers. We will complete that evaluation before making our special needs materials available to all. For the STEAM Carnival, we will provide a voluntary evaluation survey about the content and ease of use. We will also keep track of the Library's popularity and use by monitoring unique visits, lengths of stay and returns.