Theory and Practice

Traditional education pathways leading to STEM fields, which are linked to higher earning potential and quality of life, have systematically excluded historically underrepresented (HUR) students. This discrepancy is highlighted by statistics from the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, revealing that in 2021, although Black individuals comprised about 12% of the adult population in the United States, they constituted only 9% of the STEM workforce. Moreover, the representation of Black individuals in STEM has shown minimal progress over the past decade, with only a 2% increase from 2011 to 2021.

According to the Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Black and brown students are significantly more likely than their white peers to identify affecting social change as essential to their career goals. Black and brown students’ disproportionate interest in social justice is causally linked to their underrepresentation in STEM. While some progress has been made for high-school students, there is a critical lack of systemic investment in building foundational STEM skills for elementary and middle school-aged youth, despite the several research-backed benefits of introducing STEM to students at an early age.

Lastly, systemic barriers rooted in race and age about who can lead and who can make an impact means Black and brown youth’s brilliance and power is often untapped. Changes happening in historically underrepresented Los Angeles communities largely stem from external influences with political, financial, and social agendas, leaving the most affected community members out of the conversation. This inequity is amplified for youth, who are systematically denied both the agency and platform to enact meaningful change, even when it comes to issues that directly concern their wellbeing, learning, and futures.

To address the challenge of underrepresentation of historically underrepresented (HUR) students in STEM fields and the lack of agency of Black and brown youth in their communities, we advocate for a social justice approach rooted in Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) in which Black and brown youth are positioned to become agents of change in their communities. Our initiative disrupts dominant education practices that have historically served as barriers to access for HUR students. This innovative approach supports students in integrating justice, STEAM, and activism as they envision and build the communities they want and deserve.

Through Theory and Practice, students begin by envisioning the world they want to inhabit and create a community-oriented project to work towards that vision. The program consists of two 2 hours of classes a week: the first class is focused on students building their vision and community knowledge through our YPAR framework and the second class on working with our STEAM Residents to develop their projects. Throughout the process, students have the opportunity to explore topics in their communities, reflect on societal injustices, and envision a more equitable future.

Once the students decide on an issue they want to address or a community need they want to meet, they begin developing a STEAM based solution to their problem.  Guided by STEM to the Future’s Residents—local community members with expertise in different STEAM fields—students use a variety of STEAM based skills, including coding, robotics, and graphic design, to design and execute their solutions. The Residents are the students’ support systems, providing them with feedback on the direction of their projects and aid in facilitating real-world implementation.

As they work on their projects, students connect with grassroots organizations and other community members to further develop their understanding of the issue they’re addressing and how to best solve it. Through community events and discussions, students conduct qualitative and quantitative research, leveraging local community knowledge to inform their work. This phase encourages collaboration, leadership, and a sense of agency as students work towards tangible change.

The finale of the program is a showcase where students present their research and projects. The showcase serves as a platform for students to demonstrate their achievements, share insights with the broader community, and inspire further action and collaboration. For example, girls in Build ‘Em Up, a robotics and coding subprogram within Theory and Practice, decided that they wanted to support the elderly and unhoused communities after learning about how the pandemic affected those marginalized groups differently. Their final project involved engineering robots to deliver PPE to the elderly and coding automatic hand-sanitizer dispensers for the unhoused.

Throughout this entire process, students engage in critical inquiry into real-world problems, exploring issues such as disparities in internet access, environmental inequities, and the differential impact of health crises like COVID-19. By reinforcing the social justice framework throughout the process, we not only position HUR students to excel in STEM, but also to become the agents of change in their communities.

Innovation and invention are pivotal to societal progress, with STEM advancements leading to significant improvements in our quality of life, from life-saving medical breakthroughs to agricultural enhancements. Yet, the fruits of these innovations are not universally accessible. Particularly, Historically Underrepresented (HUR) and underserved 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. This disparity not only perpetuates economic inequalities but also deprives our society of diverse perspectives essential for tackling complex problems.

The underrepresentation of HUR professionals in STEM is stark, with median annual wages in these careers significantly surpassing those in non-STEM fields, highlighting a vast disparity in economic mobility and lifetime earning potential. According to the National Science Foundation (2021), early exposure to STEM is crucial for sparking interest and developing proficiency. Yet, research indicates that HUR youth, often due to limited access to quality STEM education, lag behind their counterparts in interest, achievement, and participation in these critical fields. This gap manifests early and widens over time, as evidenced by achievement disparities in national assessments and the underrepresentation of minorities in STEM careers. The problem is both systemic and cyclical, perpetuating a gap in economic mobility and omitting diverse perspectives that are crucial for innovative solutions to global challenges.

This imbalance is not just a problem for the affected communities but a societal issue that diminishes our collective capacity to innovate and solve pressing global challenges. The underrepresentation of HUR individuals in STEM fields highlights a well of untapped talent and perspective that is essential for driving forward meaningful and inclusive innovation. By highlighting the need to bridge this gap, we underscore the critical role of early, inclusive, and equitable STEM education. It's not just about improving statistics in STEM fields; it's about ensuring that all members of our society have the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from scientific and technological advancements.

Through our framework rooted in Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), our solution directly addresses the needs of these underserved students. By providing a student-led framework that integrates justice, STEAM, and activism, we support students in exploring STEAM within the context of their personal values and interests and help position them as the changemakers in their communities. Through this approach, students gain agency and develop the critical skills needed to address real-world challenges.

STEM to the Future (STTF) is the only organization using social justice pedagogy and a student-led model for STEAM education programs in Los Angeles. Our organization is led by a tenured team of educators, STEAM practitioners, and community activists that share the same lived experiences and cultural backgrounds of the students and communities we serve. Our team is somewhat small given the impact we’ve had on students and educators in Southern California; with 10 members, STTF has been able to serve 34,000 youth (+1,500 weekly during the school year) and 250 educators in Southern California.

One priority of our work is maintaining the dexterity required to run a student-led program, meaning we have to “build the plane while the kids fly it.”  In our Theory and Practice program, students are the decision makers on what issues they want to address, how they want to design, execute, and implement their projects, and which STEAM Resident they want to work with and support them throughout the process. Once the students choose their Residents, those Residents check in with and provide feedback to the students at different phases in their projects. In turn, students also provide feedback to our Residents on their thoughts on the program, what they’re hoping to learn, and how the curriculum can better be adapted to their interests. Our Residents take the feedback into consideration and check in with the students again after a couple weeks to see if they feel like the feedback was implemented into the programming.

 Once the students’ projects are in their final stages of development, our Residents, who are local community members with rich networks in the neighborhoods we service, support the students in bringing their projects into the community. Through this support from our STEAM Residents and in collaboration with local grassroots organizations and community members, students have the opportunity to explore their interests and implement their solutions in a real-world context. A Theory and Practice success story: in the past, students democratically decided that they wanted to support unhoused LGBTQ+ youth in Los Angeles. Their goal was to fundraise for a LGBTQ+ focused charity, which they did by using graphic design and screenprinting to design t-shirts to sell at a local farmer’s market. Ultimately, they raised over $800 for the charity of their choice and donated several of their custom t-shirts to unhoused youths. Throughout this process, students led the charge, from proposal to execution to implementation, with our STEAM Residents supporting them along the way through logistic support and technical skill development. Our principle of maintaining student-centered programming pushes our team to be nimble, adaptive, and adjust as we create programming that supports the youth on their journeys.

Since our founding, we’ve served over 34,000 youth and 1,500 educators in Southern California. STTF focuses on partnering with schools and community-based organizations such as LAUSD, City Year, and Think Together, as we provide  classroom instruction via our in-school programming called Planting the Seed (currently serving ~2,000 students) and our professional development program called For the Greater Good (currently serving 1,200 educators). Schools and community-based organizations cover fees and administrative expenses for these programs. Lastly, we work with youth outside of school and during the summer through our Theory and Practice programs (currently serving 25 students).

The specific barriers we hope Solve can help us overcome include financial constraints, technical limitations, and evaluation support. Theory and Practice is free for students and their families and we provide stipends to cover additional expenses for families, which means sustaining these efforts requires ongoing financial support. Solve could potentially connect us with partners who can provide monetary support to help cover program costs, ensuring that cost is not a barrier to learning for the youth we serve.

Additionally, two of Theory and Practice's subprograms, Build 'Em Up and Bloom, are technically intensive. Build’ Em Up Robotics is a coding and robotics program for 3rd-5th grade girls and non-binary youth in which they use coding and robotics to identify and develop solutions to issues in the community. The Bloom Initiative is a creative design class where 3rd-6th grade students learn a variety of skills such as graphic design, photography, and storytelling. Both of these subprograms require a variety of software and hardware, which we would appreciate support in accessing.

Lastly, as we continue growing, we also seek support in evaluating the effectiveness and impact of our programming. By partnering with Solve, we hope to access resources and expertise to conduct thorough evaluations, measure outcomes, and gather feedback from participants and stakeholders. This data will allow us to share our work with other organizations more efficiently as well as inform our continuous improvement efforts and ensure that our programs effectively support Black and Brown youth in leveraging their STEAM skills for positive change in their schools and communities. 

We believe that Solve can help us overcome these barriers by connecting us with partners who can provide both monetary and non-monetary support, enabling us to further advance our mission of providing equitable access to STEAM education for underserved youth.

Our solution approaches the problem of underrepresentation of historically underrepresented (HUR) students in STEM fields in a new and significantly improved way by incorporating Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) and focusing on building STEAM confidence in younger students, particularly Black and Brown elementary and middle school-aged youth in South Central and East Los Angeles.

YPAR gives students the opportunity to take an active role in identifying and addressing the systemic barriers they face, fostering a sense of agency and ownership over their education and future. By centering their lived experiences and perspectives, YPAR ensures that solutions are culturally relevant and responsive to the needs of the communities we serve. This participatory approach not only amplifies the voices of HUR students but also equips them with the critical thinking, research, and leadership skills necessary to advocate for change in their schools and communities.

Additionally, our focus on building STEAM confidence in younger students represents a proactive and preventative approach to addressing the underrepresentation of HUR students in STEM fields. By providing early exposure to STEAM education and opportunities for hands-on learning and exploration, we aim to instill a sense of curiosity, creativity, and self-efficacy in students from an early age. This lays the foundation for future success in STEM disciplines and increases the likelihood of HUR students pursuing a future in STEM.

Our solution has the potential to catalyze broader positive impacts in the education and STEAM fields by demonstrating the effectiveness of YPAR and early STEAM exposure in addressing systemic inequities. By sharing our methodologies, best practices, and lessons learned with other organizations and stakeholders in this space, we can inspire and support others in adopting similar approaches. This collaborative effort can lead to a collective shift towards more inclusive, culturally responsive, and empowering educational practices that prioritize the needs and voices of HUR students.

In changing the landscape, our solution challenges traditional education paradigms and stereotypes about who can succeed in STEM. By showcasing the talent, potential, and agency of HUR students, we challenge prevailing narratives of deficit and highlight the importance of diversity and representation in STEM. This can lead to increased investment in programs and initiatives that prioritize equity and inclusion in STEM education, ultimately transforming the landscape to one that is more reflective of the diverse communities we serve.

Our theory of change is rooted in the belief that through our Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) based after-school program, we can support Black and brown youth in becoming agents of change in their communities. By providing weekly YPAR and STEAM classes, led by STEAM Residents who share their expertise and experiences, we create opportunities for youth to engage in critical inquiry, develop STEAM skills, and identify unmet needs in their communities and schools. Through youth-led community engagement events, students connect with their school and community, fostering a sense of joy and belonging.

The immediate outputs of our program include an increased sense of self-efficacy and sense of belonging for students and tangible, ongoing solutions to unmet needs in the community. These outputs contribute to longer-term outcomes, including an increase in Black and brown youth staying and investing in their communities. The students in our program bring a wealth of knowledge and ability to create change, but are hindered by the lack of opportunities and resources. We address this by giving students the platform to further develop their skills, confidence, and agency within the context of their lives and communities. As students become more connected and invested in their communities, we anticipate an increase in mission-driven programs, organizations, and companies led by those most impacted by the problems they are trying to solve. Overall, our solution aims to support youth with the tools and opportunities needed to drive positive change in their communities, leading to broader systemic impacts and increased equity and inclusion in STEAM fields.

Our impact goals for our solution are to increase Black and Brown youth investment and involvement in their communities and increase representation of Black and Brown students in STEM fields. 

We aim to increase Black and Brown youth investment and participation in their communities by giving students the opportunity to leverage their lived experiences, interests, and skills in addressing real-world challenges and supporting them in becoming leaders in their communities. This goal is rooted in the belief that Black and Brown youth have deep knowledge and expertise about their communities and are uniquely positioned to drive change from within. We also aim to increase the investment and  representation of Black and Brown students in STEM fields by supporting these students in exploring STEM within the context of their own experiences.

We assess our progress towards achieving our impact goals through a comprehensive approach that combines qualitative and quantitative indicators. These indicators include evaluating if students are able to identify and address unmet needs in their community, gauging students' perception of their role in shaping the curriculum and programming, and examining whether they feel a sense of belonging within their schools and communities. 

Additionally, we track the impact of our programs on students' school attendance, participation levels, and overall academic performance, with a particular focus on their achievements in science and math. This holistic assessment encourages us to continuously refine and improve our initiatives to better serve the needs of the students and communities we work with.

Our solution leverages a combination of modern and traditional technologies to support historically underrepresented students in exploring STEM. At the core of our technology stack are innovative tools such as BeeBots, micro:bits, Scratch, Godot, and physical circuitry and engineering materials. These technologies enable hands-on learning experiences, which is especially important for younger students, that foster creativity, problem-solving skills, and STEAM confidence among students.

BeeBots, for example, are programmable robots that introduce students to the fundamentals of coding and robotics in a fun and engaging way. Students have used Scratch and Godot softwares in the past to explore coding and programming.

In addition to digital technologies, our solution also incorporates physical engineering and circuitry materials, allowing students to design and build prototypes of their own inventions. In the past, students have designed and built their own trebuchets and space landers to explore the rules of physics. This hands-on approach not only reinforces technical concepts but also encourages creativity and innovation.

By integrating these technologies into our programs, we provide HUR students with access to cutting-edge tools and resources that are typically unavailable in their educational environments. Additionally, by combining modern technologies with traditional knowledge systems and hands-on learning approaches, we ensure that our solution is culturally relevant and accessible to all students, regardless of their backgrounds or prior experience with technology. Overall, our core technology stack plays a crucial role in empowering HUR students to thrive in STEM fields and become leaders in their communities and beyond.

Full time staff: 7

Part time staff: 1

Contractors/other workers: 3

At STEM to the Future, we have been developing our Theory and Practice program since our founding in 2017 (7 years).

Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion are values that guide our team's composition, culture, and practices. Our leadership team reflects a diverse range of races, genders, sexual orientations, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, contributing to a breadth of diverse ideas and approaches. In addition to diversity within our staff, our board of directors is also diverse, with four out of six members identifying as women and four out of six members identifying as Black, and all with a rich set of lived experiences. This diversity at the leadership level ensures that decision-making processes are inclusive and reflective of the communities we serve.

Furthermore, our full-time educator, a Los Angeles native with a non-traditional background in teaching, offers a unique perspective and relatability to the students we serve. This diverse team ensures that our programs are designed and delivered with cultural relevance, empathy, and authenticity.

We are committed to ongoing efforts to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for all team members. This includes regular diversity, equity, and inclusion training, opportunities for professional development and advancement, and open channels for feedback and dialogue.

Our business model centers around providing equitable access to our Theory and Practice program for students and families in South Central and East Los Angeles. Our solution, which encompasses afterschool programming, excursions, and community events, is funded by grants, corporate sponsors, and donations, and is offered entirely free of charge to students and their families. This approach ensures that financial barriers do not prevent students from participating and exploring STEAM through the context of their lives.

The primary populations we serve are students from historically underserved communities who benefit from social justice oriented STEAM education and their families. Exposure to comprehensive STEM education is limited for many students from historically underrepresented communities, and the opportunities that do exist lack important sociocultural context. Students and their families find joy in our programming  because it offers a unique learning experience in which students develop confidence in addressing issues in their communities and while exploring and developing their confidence in STEAM. Our YPAR framework and emphasis on community reinvestment promotes a sense of leadership and belonging as we support students in becoming agents of change in their communities. In effect, our program not only fills a crucial gap in STEM education but also serves as a platform for personal growth, cultural affirmation, and community engagement for students. Ultimately, our business model is designed to provide value to our target populations by removing financial barriers to access and delivering affirming education and personal experiences that support students in their learning and strengthen communities.

To sustain our operations and expand our impact, we receive funding through our Planting the Seed (in- and afterschool) and For the Greater Good (professional development) programs. These initiatives rely on foundation support and fees for service with our partnered schools to deliver in-school programming, curriculum development, and professional development opportunities. Foundation supporters include the Simons Foundation, LA CARE, the Black Equity Collective, and several more. As for fees for service, partners include the Los Angeles Unified School District, Teach For America Los Angeles, City Year, and several charter networks. Over the last fiscal year, we have also raised over $50K in partnerships with companies such as Google and TechStyleOS. By leveraging these funding streams, we are able to cover operational costs while delivering high-quality, impactful educational experiences to our target populations.