STEM and STEAM are Important Cornerstones of IHADLA Programs
STEM and STEAM are an important part of the “I Have a Dream” Foundation – Los Angeles (IHADLA) after-school field trip and summer programs.
Following are links for three of our articles about STEM and STEAM activities at IHADLA and the details of the 2015 summer STEAM program for IHADLA Inglewood Program 16 and 17 Dreamers.
Watts 2915 Summer Program had healthy servings of STEM.
Annual Dream Big Event with STEM and STEAM Workshops November 2015
2015 Summer STEAM Program for IHADLA Inglewood Program 16 and 17 Dreamer Students
During the 5-week long program, IHADLA student Dreamers maintain what they have learned throughout the school year and are also exposed to new skills. Daisy Zurita, an undergraduate volunteer from the University of California, Santa Cruz, has been teaching the Dreamers technology skills, such as HTML and web design, on new MacBook Pro computers that were generously donated by Women Helping Youth. Daisy’s overarching goal in helping the Dreamers develop their technology skills is to provide them with a personally-constructed digital profile that documents extracurricular activities, test scores (SAT/ACT, and when taken), and the college requirements required to apply to a 4-year university – all accessible through a web browser. She hopes that this will inspire all Dreamers to consider majoring in computer science or programming in the future, or any other STEAM-oriented field.
STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. That’s STEM plus the Arts. Remember that Steve Jobs studied calligraphy. Design is an important part of these related pursuits.
Thank you so much to Women Helping Youth for the new MacBook Pro Computers!
Being from the Greater Los Angeles Area, Daisy was inspired to reach out to her community and found IHADLA. She says that, “The organization brings so much enrichment to the local community, and also helps the Dreamers develop a new skill in the process.” She looks forward to working with students in the future, as well as returning to volunteer with IHADLA again.
In addition to this program, Daisy accompanied Dreamers from this program attending the “I Have a Dream” Foundation’s national conference for Dreamers 7th grade and older, which was held in Boston this year. Find out more about this below our interview with Daisy.
Interview with Ms. Daisy Zurita
What have you been teaching the Dreamers?
The overarching theme of what I’ve been teaching the Dreamers is Hyper Text Markup Language. The final outcome of the course is to have them leave with an HTML code that opens as a personal profile which will help them keep track of extra curricular activities, test scores (eg. SATs) and college requirements needed to apply to a four-year university. The Dreamers were awarded 20 brand new MacBook Pros, so to start I taught the Dreamers how to transition from a PC to Mac by using the applications that are available with a MacBook Pro, such as Pages (which is similar to Microsoft Word) and Keynote (which is similar to Microsoft Power Point), as well as reviewing their typing skills.
Why did you choose to teach this?
I chose to teach HTML to the Dreamers to provide a technological aspect to their summer program. Also, to boost career development in the growing field of technology. By teaching the Dreamers HTML I hope to achieve an increased amount of interest for computer science/programming.
How do you think this is benefitting the Dreamers and IHADLA as a whole?
I believe that this is benefitting the Dreamers by knowing how to use the resources they have available to them. I also think that learning the basics of HTML is beneficial to Dreamers in order to start feeling comfortable around computers, how they work, and how websites function. For IHADLA as a whole, I think the course is beneficial because it adds to the Summer Program’s goal of directing the Dreamers to strive for higher education.
What is the best part about being involved with IHADLA?
The best part of being involved with IHADLA is having the experience to work with organization that brings so much enrichment to the local community and seeing the Dreamers develop a new skill. At the beginning of the course I noticed that a lot of Dreamers were intimidated by their new laptops and hearing the abbreviation “HTML,” but now that they have grasped the essentials of working with HTML they get excited opening up the HTML file to see all of their coding has created something. I love the fact that I get to work the Dreamers hands on and provide them with skills that would probably not be taught during the regular school year.
What have you learned about nonprofits? About program management?
I’ve learned that in the nonprofit realm a lot is tied around communication, teamwork, and fundraising. Communication is essential and goes hand in hand with teamwork. I like knowing that there was always someone I could go to that there was always someone happy and excited to help. Fundraising is something that is crucial to keep wonderful programs such as IHADLA running and aiding students in need. I learned that fundraising is both challenging and overall rewarding. Project management, I’ve learned, is something that takes time and flexibility. When I started planning for the Summer Program I knew the outline of the kind of lessons I’d be teaching. This, of course, took a lot of time and research in deciding what would be best for the Dreamers. However, being flexible is something that I feel was important when executing the lessons. From having a fluctuating amount of students to accommodating each of their learning paces, being flexible and willing to work around minor issues is what kept my workshops running smoothly.
Would you return to intern or do something similar next summer?
I would absolutely intern or do something similar to this project next summer.
Thank you so much for your input, Daisy! You have done a fantastic job at the program site!
These profiles were completed by the Dreamers during their workshops with Daisy:
The Boston National I Have a Dream Foundation Conference
Participants from the Inglewood STEAM Summer Program Joshua and Leah had this to say about the Boston Conference:
“This year, I was granted the opportunity to go to Boston, MA for the 2015 dreamer conference. I got to stay at Boston College and stay in dorms along with two dreamers from Miami, FL. It is an experience that few teens and young adults get to participate in. We went to different workshops that were all about empowering and helping your community. I enjoyed one workshop the most which was all about growth mindsets and to be optimistic. My favorite part was our tour of the famous Harvard University. I have always wanted to see the campus so it was a dream come true (pun intended). Considering I was able to attend the dreamer conference last year in Washington D.C., I think this one was slightly better. I say that because this year I definitely connected with the dreamers more than last year. I had a great time in Boston and with the Dream Team.” ~ Leah
“The IHAD Boston Conference was a great experience. We learned so much about High school and college in the workshops. For example, rising college students gave us information on high school and how it was to attend high school. We also had a speaker come into the Boston College and talk to us about how college for them was in the past and how we “dreamers” are going to be succesful. The speaker also expressed to us “dreamers” what a great program we are involved in and how we have a great staff to help us on the way. Another great experience is when we took a tour to Harvard. The tour was a great learning experience for me because the college had a lot of history and more. I also made a lot of new friends in the Conference and learned about where they lived. The trip to Boston and flying on a plane was a fun time and a experience I will never forget.” ~ Joshua