Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Tuesday that his Task Force on Out-of-School Enrichment Time has partnered with the Broad Foundation to bring together 26 organizations to offer free science, technology, engineering and math courses for Los Angeles Unified School District students this fall.
Garcetti said participating organizations range from major museums to universities, and they are working together with classroom teachers to coordinate lessons on topics such as oceans, space exploration, paleontology, robotics and environmental sustainability.
“Every child deserves the chance to explore the fields of tomorrow, regardless of means, background, or zip code, and even this unprecedented pandemic should not stand as a barrier between our brightest young minds and the opportunity to study the wonders of science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” Garcetti said.
“With the leadership of the Task Force on Out-of-School Enrichment Time, we are putting the possibilities of a STEM education into the hands of our young people, tapping into our city’s deep well of talent to bring enrichment, equity, and encouragement to LAUSD students.”
The courses are making use of the resources each partner offers, Garcetti said, including specialists who are meeting students in their virtual classrooms to offer thematic core instruction.
The program is being offered to fifth-grade classes and includes multi-week lessons with live instruction through the rest of the calendar year. Additionally, afternoon enrichment courses are being offered to students in kindergarten through eighth grade this fall semester.
The fall program is a continuation of the task force’s pilot learning initiative launched in June with the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles, called Summer of STEM, which offered instruction to about 70,000 LAUSD students.
School district administrators reported that the pilot enhanced their summer school offerings by providing access to scientists and experts from diverse backgrounds.
The Task Force on STEM Out-of-School Time Enrichment was developed in response to a study conducted by the Lawrence Hall of Science and STEM Next Opportunity Fund. The study showed that although there are many STEM and out-of-school programs in the city, there was a desire to increase access to enrichment opportunities across Los Angeles, especially for students from historically marginalized communities.