STEAM for a Just LA

K-12 STEAM education

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

The past is read-only--the future has not been written yet. Historically Underrepresented (HUR) communities face the dual challenge of being disproportionately affected by global issues like climate change, while also being underrepresented in the STEM fields that offer solutions to these challenges. Traditional education pathways leading to STEM fields, which are linked to higher earning potential and quality of life, have systematically excluded HUR youth. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, 60% of California school districts reported that science instruction was de-prioritized during the 2020-21 school year to focus on math and ELA. Through consistent partnerships with schools over the past seven years, we’ve learned that the best way to effectively address this dual challenge is to prioritize and implement culturally relevant STEAM enrichment programs that engage HUR students at an early age and provide opportunities for them to address local issues.

STTF is altering the way Los Angeles County addresses the STEM pipeline gap for Black and brown students through innovative STEAM programs. In the upcoming school year, STTF is piloting a new approach to our existing instruction programs. In partnership with a K-5 school within South LA we’re beginning year 1 of a 3 year program – students will receive consistent programming for at least the next 3 years.
Planting the Seed (PTS), our school-day program that introduces students to STEAM skills using our culturally responsive, standards aligned curriculum, will be offered weekly to all third through fifth graders for an entire school year. Approximately 500 students will receive four 8-week curriculum units introducing STEAM concepts and skills within the context of their lived experience and interests. At the conclusion of each unit, students complete and present capstone projects to the school community during two parent engagement nights. In addition to weekly classes, approximately 20 third through fifth graders will participate in our student-led after school program, TheoryxPractice (TxP). Over the course of nine months, students meet twice a week for two hours; co-facilitated by a STTF instructor and two STEAM Residents – local community members with expertise in a STEAM discipline – youth conduct research in their communities to learn about local issues. As a group, students use STEAM skills to develop a solution connected to their research.

Our goal is to transform schools into places where HUR youth learn STEAM skills and develop solutions to issues disproportionately affecting their communities. We envision Los Angeles County to be a place where youth are active participants in their education so they have the skills and confidence to address local unmet needs. Previously, youth in our programs have designed and built robots to deliver PPE to elders during the COVID-19 pandemic, created a handwashing station during a protest in Little Tokyo, and led a mutual aid event to raise money for unhoused LGBTQ+ youth. We plan to expand this program to additional schools by the 2026-2027 school year and impact up to 2,000 HUR youth using our approach. As more youth develop solutions, we plan to create a network of student-led organizations that support youth as they drive positive change within their communities and make the County a more equitable place.

In the upcoming school year we plan to collect data using a mixed-methods approach – quantitative student and teacher surveys, qualitative student and teacher focus groups, classroom observations and student surveys. We plan to measure:
the impact our programming can have on student’s STEM related self-efficacy and STEM related sense of belonging, indicators that influence student’s desire to remain and persist in school.
their critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, creativity, and teamwork skills.
Our program will be successful if:
90% of youth feel they belong within our classrooms
85% of youth feel confident in using STEAM to uplift the community (self-efficacy)
85% of youth are able to complete project-based assessments that meet or exceed guidelines In addition to the outcomes above, our TxP program will be a success if students are able to create projects and/or initiatives connected to their research that positively impact their school community.