Partnership For Los Angeles Schools

INVEST IN AMERICA'S FUTURE: EXPAND MATH EXCELLENCE & STEM ACCESS

PURPOSE:THE PARTNERSHIP FOR LOS ANGELES SCHOOLS WILL USE THESE FUNDS TO ESTABLISH THE CARVER STEM INNOVATION CENTER AT GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER MIDDLE SCHOOL IN SOUTH LOS ANGELES. THE CENTER ACTIVATES EXISTING, UNDERUTILIZED CAMPUS SPACE AS A FULL-DAY HUB FOR HANDS-ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS LEARNING, GIVING STUDENTS DAILY ACCESS TO ROBOTICS, 3D PRINTING, CODING, AND ENGINEERING TOOLS BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE SCHOOL DAY. THE CENTER WILL REACH MORE THAN 500 STUDENTS EACH YEAR AND IS OPERATED THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIPS ESTABLISHED K-PHD ADVANCED MATHEMATICS AND STEM MODEL, AN INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEM ALREADY RUNNING ACROSS THE NETWORK WITH A RECORD OF MEASURABLE STUDENT GAINS.ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED:AWARD FUNDS WILL BE APPLIED TO EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLY PURCHASES (ROBOTICS KITS, FLEXIBLE LEARNING STATIONS, AND THEIR CONSUMABLES) AND TO PROGRAMMATIC ACTIVITIES (INSTRUCTION, EDUCATOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, STUDENT FIELD EXPERIENCES, AND COMMUNITY SHOWCASES).EXPECTED OUTCOMES:THE PROJECTS GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ARE TO ACTIVATE EXISTING SPACE AT CARVER AS A SUSTAINED STEM INNOVATION CENTER; TO PROVIDE MORE THAN 500 STUDENTS ANNUALLY WITH STRUCTURED, HANDS-ON STEM LEARNING; TO EXTEND STRUCTURED LEARNING TIME BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER SCHOOL IN WAYS THAT STRENGTHEN ENGAGEMENT AND SCHOOL SAFETY; TO BUILD FOUNDATIONAL READINESS FOR HIGH-DEMAND TECHNICAL FIELDS INCLUDING ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, ENGINEERING, AND COMPUTING; TO STRENGTHEN STUDENT FOCUS, RESILIENCE, AND BELONGING THROUGH AN INTEGRATED "MINDFUL MAKERSPACE"; AND TO PRODUCE MEASURABLE IMPROVEMENT IN ENGAGEMENT, BEHAVIOR, AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT, DOCUMENTED SO THE MODEL CAN BE REPLICATED BY OTHER SCHOOLS.CARVER STUDENTS TODAY DO HAVE SOME ENTRY POINTS INTO STEM, INCLUDING A K-PHD CLUB, ROBOTICS ACTIVITY, AND A MAKERS CLUB, BUT THESE ARE LIMITED AND UNEVEN. THE MAKERS CLUB LACKS A DEDICATED CURRICULUM AND RELIES ON AN OUTSIDE FACILITATOR WHO VISITS TWICE A WEEK; ACTIVITIES RELY ON SHARED OR BORROWED SPACE AND INTERMITTENT STAFFING. THE CENTER CLOSES THOSE GAPS BY PROVIDING DEDICATED SPACE, SUSTAINED CURRICULUM AND STAFFING, PROTECTED TIME, AND A COHERENT PROGRAM THAT TIES THESE SCATTERED OFFERINGS TOGETHER.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES:THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENT FOR CARVER STUDENTS IN THE THREE AREAS COMMITTED TO CONGRESS: ENGAGEMENT, BEHAVIOR, AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT. STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN STRUCTURED STEM LEARNING ACROSS THE SCHOOL DAY AND BEYOND AT FAR HIGHER RATES THAN THEY DO TODAY; TO SHOW STRONGER SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT AND REDUCED UNSTRUCTURED IDLE TIME; AND TO GROW IN APPLIED TECHNICAL SKILLS SUCH AS CODING, ROBOTICS, AND ENGINEERING DESIGN, ALONG WITH THE FOUNDATIONAL MATHEMATICS REASONING THAT UNDERPINS LATER STEM COURSEWORK. BEYOND INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS, THE PROJECT LEAVES BEHIND LASTING ASSETS: A SUSTAINED STEM FACILITY, A TRAINED TEAM OF TEACHER LEADERS, AND A DOCUMENTED MODEL THAT OTHER SCHOOLS CAN ADOPT. TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE IMPACTS STRENGTHEN THE EARLIEST STAGE OF THE NATIONS STEM TALENT PIPELINE IN A COMMUNITY THAT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN UNDERREPRESENTED IN TECHNICAL FIELDS.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES:THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.

THE PARTNERSHIP FOR LOS ANGELES' SCHOOLS MISSION IS TO TRANSFORM SCHOOLS AND REVOLUTIONIZE SCHOOL SYSTEMS TO EMPOWER ALL STUDENTS WITH A HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION. THE PROPOSED VISTA PROJECT IS A NATURAL OUTGROWTH OF THE PARTNERSHIP'S CAPACITY-BUILDING AND ADVOCACY WORK FOR EQUITABLE EDUCATION IN LOS ANGELES, AND ALIGNS WITH THE EDUCATION FOCUS AREA, AND AMERICORPS VISTA'S PRIORITY OBJECTIVES OF "SCHOOL READINESS FOR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED YOUNG CHILDREN" AND "K-12 SUCCESS IN STUDENT EDUCATIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES IN LOW-ACHIEVING SCHOOLS". THE VISTA PROJECT WILL SEEK TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES TO SERVE STUDENTS DURING SCHOOL TRANSITIONS AND IN BUILDING COLLEGE-GOING CULTURE IN ORDER TO BENEFIT THE THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS IN 18 PARTNERSHIP NETWORK SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS OTHER STUDENTS AND FAMILIES LIVING IN HIGH-NEED LOS ANGELES COMMUNITIES. FOUR VISTA MEMBERS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT BY PERFORMING ACTIVITIES SUCH AS COLLECTING DATA ON COLLEGE-GOING BELIEFS, CODIFYING BEST PRACTICES, STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN SCHOOLS, AND PROVIDING STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL SITE PROGRAMMING.