STEAM Ahead LA: Igniting LA’s Future Through STEAM

K-12 STEAM education

San Gabriel Valley West LA San Fernando Valley 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)

Los Angeles is a global innovation hub, yet far too many students lack access to high-quality, hands-on STEAM education. Persistent disparities in funding, resources, and enrichment opportunities have led to unequal preparation for the careers of the future, particularly for Black, Latino, and low-income youth.
Our understanding is grounded in both local data and direct experience: many Title I schools lack lab space, access to trained STEAM educators, or exposure to engaging learning environments outside the classroom. These gaps contribute to long-term inequities in academic success, economic mobility, and representation in STEAM fields.
Discovery Cube Los Angeles seeks to address this challenge by meeting students and families where they are — in classrooms, at community events, and at our museum — to deliver inspiring, culturally relevant, and standards-aligned STEAM learning that builds confidence and curiosity.

STEAM Ahead LA is an expansion of Discovery Cube Los Angeles’ proven, hands-on STEAM programming, aimed at reaching more students across LA County, particularly those in under-resourced schools and communities. This initiative builds on our long-standing partnerships with local educators, school districts, and community organizations to deepen and scale our impact where it’s needed most. In the past couple of years, many schools relied on post-COVID funding to visit the cultural center, and those funds are quickly disappearing.
Grant support will allow us to extend classroom-based STEAM programs, increase access to field trip experiences at the Cube, and grow our presence at community events throughout the region. These programs are grounded in NGSS-aligned, bilingual curriculum and are designed to be culturally relevant, engaging, and accessible for diverse learners. Whether we’re co-teaching a design challenge in a 5th-grade classroom, leading an engineering activity at a neighborhood festival, or hosting thousands of students for hands-on science demonstrations at the Cube, our goal remains the same: to spark curiosity, build confidence, and create pathways to future success in STEAM.
This expansion will allow us to remove more access barriers — including cost, geography, and transportation — and bring high-quality science learning to thousands of additional students who might not otherwise have the opportunity.

Equity gaps in science learning will begin to narrow as more Title I schools receive consistent support, more families engage in science together, and more community spaces become hubs of exploration and creativity. Students who once had limited exposure to STEAM will graduate with the curiosity, confidence, and foundational skills to thrive in LA’s innovation economy.
More students will see themselves as scientists, engineers, and artists because they will have had meaningful, joyful experiences with STEAM early in life. Ultimately, a more inclusive and empowered generation of young Angelenos will emerge, ready to solve problems and lead with both imagination and scientific insight.
We also support other non-profits, which we believe will benefit LA County. We continue to expand into the arts with the Power of the Arts festival, which is a collaboration with Create Now and local Dance Companies like Benita Bike Dance Company, a staple in the San Fernando Valley for over 30 years.