Student STEAM Success (BS3)

K-12 STEAM education

Central LA East LA South LA West LA Gateway Cities South Bay

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

While interest in STEAM careers has grown, systemic gaps in readiness, early exposure, and access still prevent many students from translating that interest into achievement. Traditional classrooms often separate math and science from real-world application, leaving students with content knowledge but little context or confidence. Competitive STEAM careers demand fluency in tools, networks, and environments not typically accessible through standard curricula. Our work begins with building personal relevance through experiential programming. When students use industry-standard software, pitch real products, and engage with professionals who help them visualize a future in STEAM, their engagement shifts. They begin to see themselves not just as learners, but as emerging practitioners. For students from under-resourced schools across LA County, this kind of support leads to long-term impact—stretching far beyond the classroom and into career readiness and community advancement.

The Black S³ program, a core Black College Success (BCS) initiative, addresses math and science readiness for first-year college students. Since its 2022 launch, Black S³ has grown in depth and reach—partnering with 39 schools and USC—to offer rigorous academic prep, mentorship, and career exposure. The program engages students in two annual blocks: spring and summer.
In year one, 80 students received 37 hours of math tutoring and 20 hours of science support, participated in hands-on projects, and spent 240+ hours at USC immersed in college life. Year two expanded offerings: a Summer Bridge for graduated seniors, foundational STEAM courses for underclassmen, and project-based learning in AI, game design, Python, and cybersecurity. Math was taught using Khan Academy, while students created “AI backpacks” to merge tech, design, and identity.
Career exposure included site visits to USC Keck, Deloitte, DreamWorks, Amazon, and Garner Holt, while students explored health careers, UX design, and animatronics. Black S³ also hosted residential programs, with workshops on financial literacy, mental health, and time management. In year three, BCS will launch four STEAM pathways: Game Design, Health Science, Engineering, and Art/Entrepreneurship—with certifications, internships, and hands-on mentoring to ensure students are truly college- and career-ready.

In the immediate term we would increase our ability to further extend our instruction and certification in our established areas of focus, while funding more opportunities for exposure. A successful expansion of this work would also mean more young people pursuing degrees in high-demand sectors like tech, engineering, public health, and Media. It means more students from LA neighborhoods entering institutions like CSUN, UCLA,& UCR with a strong academic foundation and a clear sense of direction.
Resulting in companies in the region benefitting from a locally-developed, career-ready talent pool that reflects the vibrancy, innovation, and potential of Los Angeles County. In the bigger picture, successful implementation of this model translates into, reduced gaps in STEM degree attainment, & a future workforce that is better prepared to lead, solve, and serve. When students are supported not just to learn but to lead in STEAM, entire communities benefit—& so does the future of LA.