Rock the STEAM Team Inc

Results: Rock the STEAM Team Inc. was incorporated as a nonprofit on October 20, 2023. In 2020, the Rock the STEAM Team initiative began providing free monthly STEAM activities to families in Stoughton, WI to ensure children and adults in the community still had access to hands-on learning activities during the pandemic. Stoughton is a small community where access to STEAM activities at an Elementary and Preschool level is limited and our schools lack advanced technology programming and no DEIA-driven STEM program statewide. The hope, at that time, was to engage the community in a conversation that remakes the way we are teaching our kids to inspire children to seek careers in STEAM. The organization received ample positive feedback from the community as well as local businesses. As of 2023, the programming in schools has remained quite limited and RTS cannot keep up with requests for assistance in helping high schoolers prepare for future STEAM careers and providing resources to kids who cannot access supplies and activities within their homes. The organization decided that it's time to close the gap for rural, clearly disadvantaged learners within the local community and is planning to open a local Makerspace and STEAM innovation center where ALL learners in the community can come and explore hands-on, open-ended STEM programs for free. This community Makerspace will support economic development initiatives within local, and rural communities by expanding opportunities for students and adults alike by providing access to equipment and resources that have been unavailable to them up to now.

Target demographics: learners of all ages

Direct beneficiaries per year: 300 students

Geographic areas served: Rural Dane County, Wisconsin

Programs: Our objective is to create a nurturing environment within our Makerspace and Tech Hub where underrepresented individuals feel at ease, inspired, and empowered to cultivate their skills. We are committed to acknowledging and embracing the unique perspectives and diverse backgrounds that underrepresented groups bring. Furthermore, we aim to address the deficiencies within educational systems that fail to cater to the needs of individuals or communities in the long term. Inclusivity encompasses the entire spectrum of human diversity, including abilities, languages, cultures, genders, ages, and other forms of human differences. Our goal is to promote innovation and foster a paradigm shift from conventional viewpoints to one that embraces human differences with curiosity. Through this approach, we aim to develop innovative and adaptable STEM programs that offer personalized experiences, resulting in more effective and inclusive systems for all.