Purpose

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and offers an 8-week ESTEAM Camp (Environment, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) at 28 sites throughout Los Angeles County Parks. Campers can become connected with the outdoors, explore early career pathways, build their self-confidence and understanding of ESTEAM topics, and learn to take action to improve their natural environment.

Curriculum is inclusive and supports the development of school-age BIPOC youth between the ages of 6-11. ESTEAM provides campers with hands-on learning activities that excites, energizes, and exposes youth to a wide variety of skills and ideas. Children will have fun learning through group games, arts and culture experiences, technology using robotics, coding and gaming, field trips, engineering logo projects, guest speakers in the fields of ESTEAM, and project-based learning. Morning and afternoon snacks and lunch are provided.

Program Description

The ESTEAM Program is primarily offered in BIPOC communities and is designed to integrate informal multi-subject learning into hands-on collaborative project-based activities for school-age camp participants. The program’s big picture goal is to foster community-wellbeing by having a positive educational impact on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM), that will ultimately provide career pathways for young campers, which will elevate college access and future employment opportunities.

It is appropriate for an employer as large as the County to also engage other County Departments in the curriculum planning to create pathways into County STEAM jobs by increasing access and opportunity through programs like ESTEAM. Participation in STEAM programs is shown to increase educational attainment, improve social skills through collaboration as well as strengthening community and County engagement in preparing young people for future careers.