Building Tomorrow's Innovators: Advancing STEAM with emphasis on Youth Coding and Robotics Equity in Los Angeles.

K-12 STEAM education

Central LA East LA South LA San Gabriel Valley West LA San Fernando Valley Long Beach City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit) LAUSD (select only if you have a district-wide partnership)

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

A diverse, skilled STEAM workforce is vital for Los Angeles County's future, but a significant educational equity gap exists, particularly concerning underrepresented demographics. Many STEAM fields are male-dominated; thus, inspiring girls and highlighting women's contributions is essential. Black and Latino populations are notably underrepresented in STEM: Pew Research reports Black workers are 11% of workforce but 9% of STEM; Hispanic, 17% vs. 8%. Women (48% of workforce) hold only 27% of STEM jobs (25% computing, 15% engineering). This gap is compounded by limited parental involvement (especially fathers) and restricted access to technology/creative curricula in low-income communities. Many parents lack confidence or tools to support their children's STEAM learning. Parent Engagement Institute empowers families to bridge this divide, ensuring all children possess the skills, confidence, and support needed for STEAM success.

Parent Engagement Institute "Building Tomorrow's Innovators" STEAM program tackles critical educational inequities in Los Angeles County. This grant expands our proven model, deeply engaging underserved families in hands-on, creative learning.
A major barrier to quality STEAM education, like coding and robotics, is the prohibitive cost ($500-$1,000 per child). Our program breaks down this financial access gap by offering high-quality STEAM experiences at no cost to families.
This grant allows us to significantly broaden our reach, implementing the program in more Los Angeles area schools and community centers in underserved areas, extending beyond our 100+ current schools. The program features engaging, project-based STEAM sessions where students explore real-world challenges through scientific inquiry, technology, engineering, arts, and math.
Our STEAM Family Night events bring parents and students together for collaborative projects. This strengthens family bonds, enhances parents' understanding of STEAM careers, and empowers them to champion their children's paths to college and thriving STEAM professions. These sessions foster side-by-side learning and collaborative problem-solving. Flexible class times (evenings/weekends) are offered to ensure maximum parent participation.
Our target audience includes low-income, ethnically/culturally diverse families (parents and K-12 children) in underserved communities, with a focus on increasing participation from girls and fathers.

Our STEAM Family Engagement Program will transform Los Angeles County into an equitable and diverse STEAM ecosystem. Building on proven success in Los Angeles schools, we envision a future where Los Angeles's STEAM workforce mirrors its community's rich diversity, unburdened by systemic barriers and fueled by innovation.
Our program cultivates a diverse STEAM culture by engaging underrepresented girls and fathers, nurturing innovators and fostering increased Black, Latino, and female students in design-and-tech STEAM careers. We strengthen family-school partnerships by empowering parents with digital literacy and advocacy, making them proactive educational partners who improve communication and involvement in STEAM initiatives.
Through hands-on robotics and coding, we instill critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative abilities, empowering families to contribute imaginative solutions across LA's diverse industries. This creates a ripple effect, boosting academic performance.