STEM: Robotics and Coding

K-12 STEAM education

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

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

ASAS-LA serves some of Los Angeles’ most economically disadvantaged communities, including South LA, East LA, the San Fernando Valley, South Bay, and the San Gabriel Valley, where many schools are located within the city’s 12 gang intervention zones. Without safe, structured after-school spaces, youth face heightened risks—LAPD data shows juvenile crime peaks between 3–6 p.m. About 89% of our students qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch; 98% are youth of color. The average household income is $44,319—nearly half the LA County average—and 24% of families with children live below the poverty line. Nearly 50% of middle schoolers in these areas perform below grade level. High schoolers here graduate at lower rates and are underprepared for postsecondary opportunities. Early exposure to STEM in middle school is critical to sparking interest, building skills, and guiding students toward high school pathways and careers in tech and creative fields.

The $75,000 grant will support ASAS-LA’s STEM: Robotics and Coding Initiative, a hands-on, after-school program that delivers engaging STEM learning to elementary, middle, and high school students in underserved communities across Los Angeles County from September 2025 to August 2026. Through weekly sessions in coding, robotics, engineering, and digital literacy, the program builds technical skills and sparks interest in future STEM careers.
In 2024–2025, 3,882 students across ASAS-LA sites participated in STEM programming. With this funding, we aim to expand access to 400 additional students in 2025–2026. Students use platforms like CodeREV for structured, project-based coding lessons and Whizara for robotics and engineering activities that encourage creative problem-solving and teamwork across grade levels.
The initiative also includes career exploration through mentorship, virtual panels, and field trips to tech companies. Special events like STEAM Camp Day and student-led science fairs allow participants to apply what they’ve learned and showcase their work to peers and community members. By combining engaging instruction with real-world relevance, the program helps students see themselves as future innovators and leaders in STEM.

In the short term, this initiative will expand access to high-quality STEM programming for 400 additional students—on top of the 3,882 already served—helping them build technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and confidence to explore STEM careers. Students will demonstrate improved proficiency in robotics and coding, stronger collaboration skills, and increased engagement in school.
Long term, the program will support stronger academic and career outcomes in communities most impacted by opportunity gaps. If successful, ASAS-LA will pursue gradual expansion to serve several hundred additional students annually, prioritizing school sites in neighborhoods with the highest need. Over time, the initiative will help diversify the future STEM workforce, reduce youth disconnection, and strengthen economic mobility across Los Angeles County.