Expanding STEAM-centered early childhood education

K-12 STEAM education

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

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

The Autry has identified the need for more public early childhood education that takes place outside of schools, childcare centers, and early care and education programs. Research shows that finding and signing up for early education resources and programs is difficult for many parents, as are the high costs of these programs. Early childhood education is proven to support healthy cognitive, behavioral, and social-emotional development that sets children on a pathway for success in school and life. With family and friends predominantly serving as caregivers for children ages 0-5, we also see the need for early childhood programming that caregivers can access easily and without long-term commitment. To reach families with children ages 0-5, the Autry piloted an early childhood education program in March 2025 as a curriculum-based public program (instead of a typical museum education program) to take advantage of the museum’s broad reach.

With LA2050 funding, the Autry will expand its early childhood education pilot program for children ages 0-5 in three ways: 1) Offer hands-on STEAM workshops; 2) double the number of early childhood education workshops offered from 48/year to 96/year (48 dedicated to STEAM); and 3) adapt and pilot the workshops for children ages 6-10.
Piloted as “Toddler Tuesdays” starting March 2025, our early childhood education program offers 2 standard-based music workshops for children aged 0-5 and their parents twice per month (4 workshops/month, 48/year). Led by a music education expert, the 45-minute workshops expose children to a variety of music and songs via singing and moving and use child-friendly tools to ensure young children can participate in a meaningful way. Starting in July, we will pilot different curriculum-based arts programming in lieu of music on some Tuesdays. The local organization We Tell Stories will host workshops at the Autry that use language, movement, and improvisational theatre games to turn stories into plays. We are also in conversation with a local organization to offer dance workshops.
With LA2050 funding, the Autry will partner with local organizations to offer 48 hands-on STEAM workshops in addition to our current workshops, and we will expand the ages served. Many Autry exhibitions feature artworks and themes exploring the natural environments of the American West. STEAM programming for young children will complement what we offer in the galleries.

If the Autry’s work is successful, LA County children and families will enjoy low-cost, participatory STEAM early childhood education in a public setting. Our program brings a unique lens to early childhood education and museum education by being a public program, both because it facilitates access and fosters appreciation for the arts, sciences, and museums from a young age.
In the long-term, with funding, the Autry will continue expanding its early childhood education programs by offering more and different kinds of STEAM programs, reaching more children and creating a pathway for these children to later participate in the Autry’s – and/or other local museums’ – field trip and outreach programs through their schools. Museum STEAM education programs play a vital role in education K-12 students, delivering real-world opportunities for students to develop 21st Century skills. Early learners will benefit from exposure to STEAM programming before they even enter the classroom.