Bilingual Explorers: Science Through Stories

K-12 STEAM education

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Despite efforts to diversify STEAM education, many programs still lack cultural and linguistic relevance. Research—including from the National Science Foundation (NSB, 2023) and scholars like Rodriguez & Morrison (2019) and Lee (2005)—shows bilingual and culturally responsive STEAM programs remain rare, even though they improve engagement and learning outcomes. Spanish-speaking students often face barriers due to limited access to linguistically inclusive materials and instruction. We address this gap by integrating Spanish-language and bilingual picture books into STEAM learning for K–5 students. Literature bridges disciplines, cultures, and languages—fostering identity, creativity, and a love of science, art, and learning in an inclusive and engaging way.

Our year-round bilingual STEAM and children’s literature program engages K–5th grade students through monthly events blending storytelling with hands-on, interdisciplinary learning. Each session begins with a Spanish-language or bilingual book tied to one or more STEAM areas, followed by playful, project-based activities that inspire creativity, cultural awareness, and curiosity.
Program formats include story times, author visits, theater, concerts, and workshops—all aligned with grade-level STEAM concepts and designed for active learning. For example, at a concert with Grammy winner 123 Andrés, students explore Latin American rhythms and instruments, then create silhouette drawings illustrating body movement—connecting anatomy, music, and cultural identity. A story about a butterfly leads to a math-art project on symmetry, enriched by a discussion of its importance in indigenous worldviews as a symbol of transformation and connection to nature. The classic The Three Little Pigs sparks an engineering challenge on materials and structural stability, encouraging students to examine different homes worldwide and how culture, climate, and environment influence building choices.
Children don’t just read about science—they experience it by bridging literature with science, two complementary ways of understanding the world. This culturally relevant program provides bilingual and multicultural children a vital space to engage as readers, creators, and scientists simultaneously.

Los Angeles County, one of the most multicultural and multilingual regions in the U.S., has nearly 50% Latino or Hispanic population. Based in a historic L.A. neighborhood, LA librería offers a unique bilingual STEAM program blending language, culture, and hands-on learning—an approach rarely found outside schools. As the only organization providing culturally responsive STEAM programming in community spaces, we complement over 230 Dual Language programs in LAUSD by extending learning beyond classrooms. With 12 years supporting bilingual families and schools, we carefully curate books and design culturally relevant programs. Our success means more children deeply engaging with science, affirming identities, strengthening bilingual literacy, and sparking curiosity—contributing to a more connected, inclusive Los Angeles where every child sees their language, culture, and potential reflected.