Jaime Escalante STEAM Education Legacy Project

K-12 STEAM Education

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

There is a disconnect between certain youth populations and STEAM education and career opportunities. This circumstance not only creates inequities for those populations but also results in a critical STEAM workforce shortage in our community and throughout the U.S.

Create and provide educational content, training and support to educators and service providers to effect positive youth development to improve youth outcomes related to education, employment, empowerment and development of youth, families, and communities. Produce and showcase short STEAM career videos that profile local professionals with diverse backgrounds to inspire and engage target audience in LA County. Conduct in person and virtual workshops to build participation. In collaboration with USC School of Engineering implement a project survey to help measure outcomes and track progress with youth participants in the process of engaging them in STEAM education pathways and careers. Train LA county based institutional service providers and teachers to use FASE’s STEaM career education resources to inspire, engage and connect at risk LA County youth to STEM education and STEM careers. Track and report on schools and institutions served and subsequent results impacting the target youth by working with these schools and institutions. Use this data to inform program management and to help grow a service pathway that endures. Build the LA County based company participation connecting their resources to FASE’s STEAM education ecosystem providing their mentors, internships, field trips and other points of contact that help connect Los Angeles companies to LA County at risk youth.

A growing number of LA County youth will be reached, inspired and engaged in STEAM education pathways and careers. The intended lasting ripple effect will impact LA County neighborhoods and families with youth connecting with STEAM careers and themselves becoming mentors for the next generation. By way of example FASE maintains connection with many LA County graduates who now have STEAM careers and who assist FASE in connecting todays youth with the opportunities in various industries. Specifically, several of Jaime Esclanate's former students are part of FASE volunteer mentors and project collaborators.

While the team has experience and evidence of effectiveness in previous program activities this specific LA County based effort is early stage. With initial funding of a small grant from the California Community Foundation FASE will conduct a series of workshops in LA County reaching 10 or more community centers and schools. We are also establishing a survey instrument working with USC Professor Gisele Ragusa to capture data and report on impact that this project has on several metrics including; number of youth reached, teachers trained and implementing the resources provided, career choice decisions made by students, connections made with mentors and STEAM related companies, etc.