Contest

CT STEM Academy's Mobile Beacon Moment

If awarded with a Mobile Beacon Community Grant, how will your organization use the monetary donation?

With these funds, we will be providing COVID-19 crisis response to vulnerable and underserved populations, as well as communities of color, in the Wallingford area and its surrounding towns.

Through this grant proposal, we are asking for your support to cover participation costs for families, as well as material and staffing costs. The total grant request is $10,000. With your support we will be able to maintain our high level of programming and participation, cover all enrollment costs, and take the financial stress off families as we strive to not only provide programming, but assist families and students with social emotional support through programming that is in-person, hybrid, or fully online, pending COVID-19 restrictions. Our programs will be designed to pivot as needed to meet the needs of all communities, regardless of economic circumstances, as we try to maintain a sense of normalcy for youth affected by this pandemic.

We will offer high engagement informal educational programming for elementary and middle school aged children, including Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) activities and after-school virtual tutoring. We hope to address the social and emotional needs of elementary and middle school aged children by offering underrepresented youth opportunities to participate in after-school, evening, and weekend programming. These activities will include activities that focus on 21st Century STEAM Skills.. These learning experiences will include virtual, hybrid, and full in-person experiences as permitted by the infection rate in Connecticut. All STEAM programs will be presented in partnership with CT STEM Academy and specific NASA Astro Camp, Vex Robotics, and engineering challenges. All can be adapted and pivoted to online learning as needed.

Staff funding will be used for high school and college-age students to continue their work experience. This work experience program will assist with providing emergency relief for young people who are providing some financial stability to their households. These work related programs will include assisting with ongoing programs at the Spanish Community of Wallingford, including Adelante and Pasos Adelante Leadership programs, CT STEM Academy Youth Programming, and online tutoring sessions.

Overall, our general budget breakdown will be:

$3,000 - Staff Costs

Understanding that not just one person can run an organization of this magnitude, is a reality. Our staff operates with college students, teachers, and knowledgeable volunteers to fulfill various roles on a part time basis. We have an extensive network of teachers who have been and continue to work for CT STEM Academy in various positions. We have also had previous students and educated individuals from all stages of life come and assist in the teachings and success of the CT STEM Academy. We aim to fill these specific advisory roles as the program grows.

Additionally, the staff cost line item will translate into full or partial scholarships for programming.

$2,000 - General Operating Costs
A sampling of general operating costs include utilities, office supplies, and insurance. As necessary, we will provide more specific details.

$5,000 - Materials
Materials will be defined as STEM Kits for Home Participant Use, Hot Spots for Participant Use, Technology for Participant Use, PPE, Technology for Facilitator Use including webcams, chromebooks, and lighting accessories

How will your organization use the 10 mobile hotspots with free internet service?

Our organization has, and continues to use Mobile Beacon Hotspots. Most recently, we have used Mobile Beacon Hotspots in our summer 2020 STEM camps program with great success.

If awarded 10 free hotspots, we will utilize this resource to the fullest extent possible. Our plan includes the following:

Youth Programming:
We will utilize this resource at our primary location of 284 Washington Street. As described in our video, we will be using the hotspots for internet access for youth programming. This portion of the building currently does not have wifi service and will not for the foreseeable future. Additionally, we will continue to use this resource at our 6 Fairfield Boulevard location. This location is our STEM Room at the Wallingford Parks and Recreation Department is currently not equipped with wifi and will not be for the foreseeable future. At both locations, we will be providing programming that does require internet access. These programs include VEX IQ Robotics, 3D Printing, Lego Robotics, Coding, Science and Engineering Investigations and much more. This programming will be year round beginning in January 2021 through December 2021 and beyond.

Family STEM Night Programs:
We will utilize this resource for our large scale Family STEM Nights post Covid-19. These evenings include multi-station programming at schools and youth based organizations. The hotspots will offer us immediate internet access at these sites for technology based programming.

Participant Loan Program:
When these hotspots are not in use for programming, we will pledge to loan these hotspots to participants, and families, in need. We will also loan the hotspots to families who wish to have their children participate in our programs, but have unreliable internet access. This can include everything from storm damage, as we saw in the summer 2020, or for families who need access more regularly. These time frames will include the month of September 2021 and December 2021. Additionally, we will consider a loan program during our youth programming seasons on an as needed basis.

Staff Use:
Our staff will use these hotspots to staff who are delivering virtual programming or who are completing program planning. Additionally, our director will occasionally use one hotspot for programming planning sessions that occur offsite.

Renewal:
If awarded these hotspots, we commit to renewing service for at least one calendar year beyond the period of this grant.

Share Your Story

The Spanish Community of Wallingford, and its STEM partner CT STEM Academy, strive to cultivate innovative enrichment programs targeted for students interested in deepening their knowledge of STEM concepts, placing a special emphasis on gender equity, cultural diversity, and direct family involvement. This partnership, founded in 2011 through a NASA Summer of Innovation Grant, has served over 10,000 students, hundreds of families, and over seventy-five schools and community organizations throughout Connecticut.

With the new challenges of COVID-19, we have discovered the silver lining of Virtual Programming. Our STEM investigation sessions are student-centered and based on active problem solving through the engineering design process, while correlating to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core State Standards. STEM learning experiences will include robotics and coding challenges centered around NGSS standards, including examining NASA based challenges and Career In STEM explorations. Our programming includes proper professional development training through NASA, Ozobot, Career In STEM, and VEX Code VR. Within the context of these STEM topics, students will be exposed to interdisciplinary concepts which include mathematics and literacy. In addition to these integrated pieces of programming, students will be using hands-on, kinesthetic, differentiated, and scaffolded learning. These programming plans will be developed in collaboration with local educators, the Digital Harbor Foundation in Baltimore, Maryland, and faculty at two local universities: Southern Connecticut State University and Albertus Magnus College. Our STEM programming is a very special enrichment opportunity for the youth in our communities.

Annually, we offer the following programs:

CT STEM ACADEMY FAMILY STEM NIGHTS:
Working in partnership with Yale Peabody Museum, Quinnipiac Future Teachers Organization, Central CT State University Education Club, Southern CT State University Educational Leadership Dept., CT Education Association Student Program, and others, this program, which is free and open to the public, provides hands-on experiences that engage students and their parents in STEM learning. By design, parents must be present and work directly with their child/children on program activities, ensuring joint engagement in STEM learning. This program will be offered at the CT STEM Academy Education Center, as well as the Spanish Community of Wallingford, Ball Headz Youth Initiative, Albertus Magnus College, the Sheehan Mahan Planetarium, the Coalition for A Better Wallingford, and Learning Dome, along with local Park and Rec departments such as Wallingford, Middletown, Prospect, and more than 10 school districts representing a combination of suburban and urban centers. The projected impact for the grant period is 3,000 families.

CT STEM ACADEMY EVENING, SCHOOL-BASED AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING, AND SUMMER STEM CAMPS:
Open to students in grades PreK-12, participating students develop an understanding of STEM content through various innovative opportunities that include NGSS-related Science Content Specific Sessions, NGSS-related Engineering Design Challenges, “Maker” sessions, hands-on technology exploration, the Vex Robotics Club/Competition Team, guest speakers, and family engagement opportunities. Specific programming includes but is not limited to the Hamden Keefe Community Center (100% African American), Spanish Community of Wallingford (100% Hispanic), New Britain After School STEM (75% Hispanic and/or African American populations), Ball Headz (100% African American and Hispanic), Church Street School (90% African American and Hispanic), New Britain-Meriden YMCA locations (at least 60% African American and/or Hispanic), Consolidated School District of New Britain (75% Hispanic and/or African American populations), International Youth Leadership Academy at SCSU (https://www.southernct.edu/iyla) and additional selected programs.

To support our continued growth and expansion, we seek to elevate our technology programming through the acquisition of critical supplies, such as tablets, laptop upgrades, hot spots, Ozobot EVO (coding robots), Sphero Robotics, Bristlebots, Little Bits, Lego EV3 Mindstorms Robotics, and VEX Robotics program. All of these items will be used during the Academy’s Family STEM Nights, after school STEM Academy sessions, summer STEM Camps, and beyond.

As we have grown, we have collaborated with a rich array of local education institutions to provide them advice and support as they navigate Connecticut’s educational landscape. For instance, Yale Peabody Museum Director of Student Programs, David Heiser, has provided CT STEM Academy his expertise and support, and will continue to do so. The Academy has also consulted with an Education Professor from Central CT State University, Jacob Werblow, for feedback on programs and to recruit pre-service teachers to facilitate and lead programs. Lastly, since 2010, we have collaborated with Quinnipiac University School of Education and the Quinnipiac Future Teachers to help support Family STEM Nights and multi-week STEM Academy sessions.