Building Children of Color and Culture Up with STREAM.

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(ThyBlackMan.com) Each school year is an opportunity for children of color and culture to learn new skills and abilities to grow. Children of color and culture cannot run away from STEAM, STEM, and STREAM, if parents do not involve their children in learning and hands on opportunities to be involved in they are allowing their children to fall further and further behind not just academically, but through the social interactions that build leadership skills, higher order and critical thinking skills.

I’ve had the blessings to be an instructor with children of color and culture that are exploring, creating and developing as innovators and thought leaders. They are developing career skills and having fun preparing for the future. There are careers that children of color and culture have not even imagined yet. Exposure is valuable and making learning relevant, connecting to a future that is engaging and different than what children see every day.

The dynamics of:
STEM:
Science Technology Engineering Mathematics
STEAM:
Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics
STREAM:
Science Technology Reading Engineering Arts and Mathematics
STEM2 (squared):
Science Technology Engineering Mathematics / Medicine

These elements develop ownership and responsibility to complete hands on projects that are engaging, teamwork related, collaborative and exposure to things not otherwise learned in traditional classrooms.

A key element is reading and literacy as it is integrated in all aspects of STEM, encouraging and building a foundation of literacy and comprehension by having students read what is related to the learning objectives and outcomes. The strength of literacy is built on building comprehension skills, strong readers have more success in their educational careers than those who struggle and not reading on their grade level in school and even on their needed career levels.

Imagine adults working in tech careers and not having the ability to read at their career levels or struggling with accessing information in online environments. How can children of color and culture hope to compete if they cannot read and comprehend?

The fields of robotics, nanotechnology, space exploration, studying of the oceans and medical fields are not typically studied by African Americans, because of STREAM and STEM programs they are building a following and an excitement for children of color and culture.

STREAM aids in the lowering of the achievement and educational gaps that many students face. Not because students are academically behind, even though some are, but because of lack of exposure to the content of STREAM.

Listen to Barrington Irving and his involvement in the improvement of literacy and the integration of STEM.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4DBk3awXaI

The more students are exposed the more they thirst for more and see alternative careers and futures for themselves and their families.

The school year is 180 days of structured, objective based learning filled with assessments. Students have a window for learning and teachers must use their time wisely and affectively to motivate and reach as many students as possible.

What better way to bridge learning gaps than to have a strong STREAM, STEAM, STEM, CSTEM,

STEM2 program to engage children of color and culture. Parents cannot afford to be ignorant to what their children are learning even if they do not fully understand. Take the time to visit schools, be engaged in PTA meetings and School Advisory Council meetings.

Children of color and culture cannot afford to have their learning downsized, dumb downed and limited when their lives are on the line.

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