Dr. King Students are Full STEAM Ahead Thanks to New Literacy Initiative Story

“I like getting new books because they make me smarter!” Dr. King third grader Ibrahim Woledi exclaimed, as he opened “I Want to Be An Engineer” and started reading.
 
Syracuse children from birth through until age 5 are eligible to receive a free book each  month, thanks to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – administered by the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County.
 
Then, at age five – when children might start developing questions about or interest in science – what happens?
 
That’s the question that United Way of Central New York President Nancy Kern Eaton asked herself. How can the community support children’s literacy while also nurturing a potential interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math?
 
This November, the United Way of Central New York launched a new pilot program at STEAM at Dr. King – called Full STEAM Ahead. That month and each month since, every kindergarten through third grader in the building has been gifted a book, tied to the themes of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. Free to families, this initiative was made possible thanks to a generous $20,000 donation by leadership development organization Emergent, based here in Syracuse.
 
Data shows that most students across the United States, New York State, and in our local community are struggling to meet grade level expectations in literacy, math and science. These learning gaps start in the early years, and they put students on the wrong track for achieving school and career success. The students who are not meeting grade-level expectations are less likely to be prepared for the STEAM jobs of the future. Full STEAM Ahead is directly working to combat this, arming our students with new books as well as concepts that will set them ahead in school and in life.
 
We are so appreciative of our friends at Emergent and the United Way for making this initiative possible for our STEAM at Dr. King students! United Way staff note that they are working to gain additional funding, with the hope of expanding the program next school year.