WCWMAD STEAM Enrichment Program

K-12 STEAM Education

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

The COVID-19 pandemic has been especially hard for our community. The pandemic forced school closures. All too often, we see young people in our neighborhood turn to crime and violence. With the closures, the COVID-19 pandemic reached a new and even more dangerous level for our children in these communities. The lack of structure, support, and positive influence of school and out-of-school time activities has forced many youth to fail academically, with some turning to criminal activity and violence. Students from underserved communities have limited exposure to a variety of opportunities, especially for a career in science and technology. Some students don’t identify with the potential of being an engineer or a scientist. And, with most of our students being from low-income families, opportunities of learning about technology and science, careers in such fields, and entrepreneurship is less available and attainable.

Our program aims to expose students to a wide variety of STEAM topics so they can compete in an increasingly technological world. Our STEAM classes allow students to explore topics not typically covered in traditional curricula. These topics include computer science, web development, mobile app creation, and robotics. Each student will receive a workbook and pProgramming will be done on tablets. Level 1 Junior Programming Grades K - 2nd This class is an introduction to programming for young learners. Students will develop a love for programming. Students will learn motion, loops, talking, characters, and more. This class will also develop students writing and reading. We will also discuss internet safety. Level 2 Junior Programming Grades K - 2nd This class is a continuation of Level 1 Junior programming. Students will continue to learn about sequences and the logic behind programming. This class also develops writing and reading skills. We will also discuss internet safety and binary. Web Development Part 1 – 4 Grades 3rd - 5th Web development encompasses all of the programming necessary for websites. In the beginning class, students will learn about front-end web development in HTML. HTML focuses on the visual aspect of web design, including fonts, images, tables, and arranging objects on a page.

Our vision for the program is to offer inclusion for the at-risk students we serve. Inclusion is providing opportunities not easily afforded to them, especially in the science and technology world. Our key objectives are to: 1. Provide activities to lessen academic gaps during the summer and provide afterschool activities for at-risk students in Los Angeles County. 2. Provide a solid foundation committed to fostering young people's social, emotional, and cognitive growth for personal success.

The goal for our STEAM program is to install a program that teaches young people of color while guiding them to overcome life obstacles. Our participants and their families will be surveyed at the time of enrollment and twice each year. Anticipated program outcomes include: • At-risk youth recognize and improve upon their individual mental and moral qualities. • At-risk youth demonstrate an improved understanding of science and technology which will help them to be individuals who display honesty and integrity. • At-risk youth demonstrate an understanding of learned character traits (i.e., trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship) that guide decision-making. • At-risk youth demonstrate an ability to have fun learning about building a robot, creating projects through science, launching their own programs, and becoming intrigued with science.