STEAM Integration into UCLA Health SBSM

K-12 STEAM education

LAUSD (select only if you have a district-wide partnership) East LA

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

We are addressing two interconnected challenges that disproportionately impact youth in under-resourced Los Angeles communities: inequitable access to high-quality STEAM education and limited access to physical wellness resources. Only 24% of LAUSD students met grade-level science standards in 2023–2024, with some high-need schools reporting single-digit proficiency rates. These gaps are most severe among English language learners and students from low-income households. At the same time, childhood obesity and inactivity are rising, particularly among Black and Latino girls. Per LA84 Foundation's Play Equity Report, early two-thirds of California youth fail to meet CDC physical activity guidelines. These challenges are deeply linked—physical wellness supports focus, learning, and academic success. By addressing fitness and STEAM learning together, we empower students with the tools and confidence to pursue health and science careers, advancing equity and economic opportunity.

This grant will support the SBSM STEAM Pilot Program at Bravo Medical Magnet High School, addressing youth physical inactivity, rising obesity, limited wellness access, and gaps in science education. Bravo lacks dedicated green space or a fitness facility. Physical education classes for the entire school are limited to one indoor basketball gym and blacktop arears squeezed between buildings. This program will install a state-of-the-art fitness center and deliver teacher training, increase peer mentoring, and bolster health-science learning.
The program centers on a peer-led model within Bravo’s Patient Care Pathway. In fall 2025, seniors will take a Sports Medicine course covering anatomy, physiology, coaching, and data collection. Instruction will be supported by a UCLA Health speaker series featuring experts in strength and conditioning, biomechanics, and health research.
In spring 2026, those seniors will mentor 9th and 10th grade PE students using custom fitness plans, collect fitness data, and utilizing the new fitness center. PE classes will use the SBSM curriculum on non-mentoring days. This hands-on model supports standards from California’s PE, Academic, and CTE frameworks.
By increasing access to physical wellness and linking it to health science instruction, this pilot fosters STEAM engagement, student leadership, and replicable practices that promote lifelong health and academic success.

If awarded this funding, Sound Body Sound Mind will launch a scalable pilot program at Bravo Medical Magnet High School that addresses three urgent needs: youth physical inactivity, underperformance in science education, and limited exposure to healthcare career pathways in under-resourced communities. The program will offer hands-on experience in fitness science, peer mentorship, and real-world health applications. Over five years, more than 1,500 students are expected to benefit from the new fitness center. This model has strong replication potential: 23 SBSM-supported LAUSD schools already offer health science pathways, serving 25,000+ students annually. An additional 15 schools in our broader network could adopt this program, reaching 15,000 more. If successful, this initiative will strengthen the link between public health, education, and workforce development—preparing students to thrive in health careers and building a healthier, more equitable Los Angeles.