WHO WE ARE

How did we start?

The Art in Science - a unique STEAM enrichment program was developed by Dr. Orna Kretchmer - a scientist and artist from the San Francisco Bay Area to instill love of science in young kids (ages 4-14) via an innovative curriculum. In this unique program, the kids learn various science topics with hands on activities that turn into interesting artworks pleasing to the eye and intriguing to the mind.

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What is STEAM?

STEAM is an education approach that groups together several academic disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.

 

"The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts" - Aristotle

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The powerful combination of STEAM is more than just learning the various academic concepts. The STEAM approach focuses on hands-on learning with real-world applications that helps develop a variety of skills  like critical thinking, problem solving, innovation, creativity, and more. In addition, studies showed that the integration of art stimulates deep learning, and increases student engagement.

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Why STEAM?

Studies show that exposing children to STEAM at a young age supports their overall academic growth and develops early thinking and reasoning skills. The real-life skills that children develop when learning STEAM help make them better problem solvers and set the foundation for better learning in all subjects including core literacy and comprehension skills. Even children whom their primary language is not English can benefit from STEAM education as they can participate in scientific explorations that do not demand a broad vocabulary.

 

The ability to think critically is the basis of innovation. It was shown that children’s chances of becoming inventors vary sharply with characteristics at birth, such as their race, gender, and parents’ socioeconomic class. Children from high-income families are ten times as likely to become inventors as those from below-median income families. These gaps persist even among children with similar math test scores in early childhood – which are highly predictive of innovation rates – suggesting that the gaps may be driven by differences in environment rather than abilities to innovate. In addition, exposure to innovation during childhood has significant causal effects on children’s propensities to invent (Bell et al 2018)

 

STEAM education will prepare children to be our future innovators and inventors but not just.  The innovation mindset gives the kids an openness to adapt that will help them in the classroom and provide them the necessary tools to tackle the challenges of their future workplace by giving  them the confidence and skills to continue to adapt.

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Our Mission

Education in general, and STEAM in particular, is the gateway to children’s futures. Unfortunately, for some, this gateway is not accessible or inclusive, it does not meet their needs, and can have a long term negative impact on their future.

 

Providing equitable access to STEAM enrichment programs allows every student to receive the positive benefits and opportunities made available through STEAM.

 

Young STEAMers offers a unique STEAM enrichment program. It includes a variety of activities, events, and engagements with STEAM outside the curriculum and the traditional classroom setting. Our dream is to bring this program to every young child from at-risk, underserved, and underprivileged families. Our passionate instructors not only teach but are also role models that help kids realize their dreams and maximize their potential.

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                    EMPOWER      EDUCATE      INSPIRE