The Santa Barbara Education Foundation (SBEF) is supporting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education in the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) with an investment of $11,500.
The financial backing is helping to launch a transformative STEAM pilot program led by the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy (DPEA).
DPEA advances STEAM learning for students as an umbrella entity by delivering top tier learning experiences to SBUSD students and staff.
In addition to operating the DPEA, the group facilitates professional development, creates curriculum, organizes field trips, and crafts museum-quality educational experiences primarily led by students.
Through developing a new STEAM curriculum, DPEA will help provide experiences for more than 1,000 students across nine elementary schools in the district.
The collaboration aims to bring equity and sustainability to Santa Barbara Unified’s STEAM education. Two schools currently lack a STEAM program, and the initiative seeks to formalize the curriculum, providing equal access and training opportunities for teachers.
The pilot program, led by seven elementary Santa Barbara Unified STEAM teachers, is set to start this school year. The projects will incorporate the district’s new English Language Arts curriculum Wit & Wisdom, and will be tested in classrooms with feedback from students, teachers and parents.
Students in first through third grades will discover the world of computer science through Sphero indi robots. Fourth-grade students will investigate scientific matters of the heart by crafting pumps and stethoscopes to record heartbeats for a unique song.
Fifth-grade students will explore space and star systems, with students assembling LED-lit constellations integrated into AI-generated graphics.
“The generous Santa Barbara Education Foundation grant marks a transformative moment for STEAM education in our district,” said Adam Elementary Design Center teacher Sean Federbusch.
“This financial support fuels our ambitious pilot program and ignites a collaborative spirit among educators, students, and the community,”
he said.
“We are proud to be part of this initiative that not only enhances STEAM education but also embodies our commitment to fostering innovation and equal access to quality learning experiences for all students in the Santa Barbara Unified School District,” said
Pedro Paz, SBEF executive director.
Santa Barbara Education Foundation serves some 12,200 students in 19 schools. For more, visit www.santabarbaraeducation.org.