SOUTHERN COLORADO — According to the of Bureau Labor Statistics, 3.5 Million STEAM jobs need to be filled by 2025, however, 60% of Americans believe they are not qualified to work in this field. Enter Full STEAM ahead. The partnership program between Peak Education and The Colorado Springs School provides a hands-on science and technology camp experience to students throughout the Pikes Peak region.
Full STEAM Ahead is an intensive, two-week program where area middle schoolers get to do everything from programming robots to dissecting brains. Amy Miller is the program director of Full STEAM ahead and says, "This is much more than just learning. It is engaging the students into their own educational journey. They're learning it's much more exciting to be an active learner rather than a passive learner."
Students also benefit from thematic field trips in partnership with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, Borealis Fat Bikes, the Space Foundation Discovery Center, Pure Bouldering Gym, Pikes Peak Makerspace and more. The Full STEAM Ahead program is led by CSS faculty, like Miller, along with high school student mentors, and it promotes experiential and project-based learning principles
Through a partnership with area middle and high schools, Peak Educationhelps to close educational opportunity gaps for youth representing low-income backgrounds. Most Full STEAM Ahead participants are Peak Education Scholars entering seventh through ninth grades at partner schools. Keyly Carranza is one of those students and says because of Peak Education, "I know I'm going to go to college because this is helping me get there. I want to make my family proud because I will be the first to go to college."
Low-income graduates from Colorado Springs high schools are less likely than peers across the state and nation to enroll directly in college. only 43% of low-income high school graduates enroll in a postsecondary option from Colorado Springs. This is significantly lower than the national (67.9%) and statewide (56%) postsecondary enrollment rates. Carlos Jimenez, CEO of Peak Education says, "Right now there is a dire need to fill STEAM positions and we are helping low income youth get a leg up, and at no cost, Peak Education helps close the opportunity gaps."
Founded in 2012, the Full STEAM Ahead program is funded by donations from the Carl George Bjorkman Foundation and the Edson Foundation. In conjunction with The Colorado Springs School and Peak Education, the program includes free lunch, snacks and transportation.
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