Early STEM
What it is?
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) may sound scary, but parents, caregivers, and children already use STEM every day!
Why it is important?
As parents and caregivers, we hear about the importance of teaching and learning STEM so that our children will be prepared for the future. The Early STEM is connected to five important early literacy practices: Observe, Build, Design/Create, Question and Explore!
Videos to Engage Your Child in STEM activities:
Early STEM Framework
How does it work?
The Early Learning Washington County (ELWC) Early STEM framework includes four different elements:
Family Event - STEAM Maniac
Pick a STEAM letter and have fun. Parent leaders have designed five stations with fun activities themed around Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics. Come to learn, laugh, and have fun with your 3-6 year old. Activities include: hatching dinosaur eggs, testing ramps, building bridges, creating coral reefs, and making arcade claw grabbers. Click here to sign up to be notified when our next event is scheduled. STEAM Maniac is free for everyone!
Early STEM Professional Development
Integrating Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) into Preschool education!
Every Summer, ELWC offers an Early STEM bilingual two-part professional development training workshop for early childhood educators and parents. Each 3-hour on-line training session incorporates Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), with an engineering focus, and the goal of creating core knowledge, learning environments and curriculum for preschoolers. ELWC provides this workshop annually, offering forty participants a collective total of 240 hours of professional development.
STEM Kits
Multilingual STEM CURIOSITY Kits are designed to increase parent-child interactions. ELWC created the kits with the ELWC Parent Advisory Council, Portland Metro STEM Partnership hub (PMSP), culturally specific agencies, community-based organizations, Head Start programs, childcare providers, and K-12. To date 5,000 kits in four languages (English, Spanish, Arabic and Somali) have been distributed in Washington County. ELWC is currently developing kits for infant to toddler aged children, and we hope to start sharing these in October 2023.
Are you interested in distributing STEM CURIOSITY kits? Email Johnathon Pierce at johnathonp@unitedway-pdx.org, and we will contact you.
Training for Trainers
Training for Trainers: Building Confidence and Expertise as a STEM Educator and Trainer is a Training for Trainers for 12 Black, Indigenous, Latinx/e, Asian, and Pacific Islander (BIPOC) educators who want to become an Early STEM Master Trainer and/or Community Trainer.
Check back in January 2024 for information on the next cohort series. If you’d like to learn more about the current series, click here
STEM Summer Camp
Summer Camps are offered yearly for free to children in Washington County.
In partnership with TierrAgua and The Iraqi Arabic School, no-cost summer camps were offered including Measomerican/Indigenous communities of Mexico and Guatemala and those who speak Arabic.
- The goals of the camps are:
Offer free Early STEM Summer Camps during the months of June through September to children in Washington County. - Bring culturally responsive Early STEM education to children and families who have been historically underrepresented in STEM fields. All teachers/staff, volunteers were Mesoamerican Indigenous or Arabic speakers.
- Provide more opportunities for parent-child interactions through Early STEM activities.
If you are interested in sponsoring a program, please email johnathonp@unitedway-pdx.org
- The goals of the camps are:
Early STEM Videos
Developed and produced by the parent leaders of the Early Learning Washington County Parent Advisory Council in English and Spanish to train parents in conducting STEM activities with their children.