STEM Access Initiative

The STEM Access Initiative helps schools and youth-serving organizations access Kid Spark programs at a reduced cost, expanding access to meaningful, hands-on STEM learning.

Learn how to apply or support the initiative.

Request Application

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About the Initiative

The STEM Access Initiative provides hands-on STEM education to elementary and middle school students in underserved communities, helping them develop skills and mindsets that enhance their academic and social-emotional outcomes, and open doors to success in the 21st century.

Select schools and informal education providers serving students from Title I or underserved communities are eligible to apply for a reduced-cost Kid Spark STEM program, which includes:

Curriculum

A progressive, hands-on curriculum spanning Pre-K–8th grade that integrates STEM and literacy. Includes teacher lesson plans, student workbooks, design challenges, assessments, and interactive coding tutorials, plus newly developed renewable energy lessons.

STEM Labs

Kid Spark STEM Labs feature diverse, reusable engineering and robotics materials that effortlessly cater to various STEM concepts across multiple grade levels. These materials are sturdy, user-friendly, and perfect for collaborative learning and invention.

Professional Learning

Through targeted training and support, we ensure that educators not only gain expertise but also the confidence to implement impactful STEM learning in their classrooms or informal spaces. Kid Spark is committed to ensuring ongoing program success by providing continuous support each year.

Why It’s Important

By grade 3 or 4, most children have decided whether STEM is for them based on early exposure to STEM concepts — or lack of it. Inequity in STEM exposure leads many underserved youth to opt out of STEM fields of study and STEM careers, cutting off generation after generation of talent, ingenuity, and imagination.

The only way to close the STEM opportunity gap is to introduce children to STEM as early as possible and provide sustained STEM learning opportunities year after year. Yet most formal and informal education providers offer no STEM learning at all, particularly in low-income and underserved communities, such as rural areas or those with limited resources.

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What Does a Typical Kid Spark STEM Program Cost?

Kid Spark programs can be tailored to support early childhood, upper elementary, middle school, or a combination of grade levels, and can scale to serve groups of any size.

The examples below show two common elementary program configurations to provide a general sense of program costs. Eligible organizations may receive a reduced-cost program through the Kid Spark STEM Access Initiative.

12-Student Program Example

The following configuration would serve up to 12 Pre-K - 1st grade students and 12 2nd-5th grade students at a single time.

x6 Early Inventors STEM Labs (Pre-K - 1st)
x3 STEM Pathways Labs (2nd - 5th)
x1 Storytime Inventing Book Collection
Printed Curriculum Booklets
Live Expert-Led Professional Learning

Typical Cost: $5,999.99

STEM Access Initiative: 10-15% OFF

24-Student Program Example

The following configuration would serve up to 24 Pre-K - 1st grade students and 24 2nd-5th grade students at a single time.

x12 Early Inventors STEM Labs (Pre-K - 1st)
x6 STEM Pathways Labs (2nd - 5th)
x1 Storytime Inventing Book Collection
Printed Curriculum Booklets
Live Expert-Led Professional Learning

Typical Cost: $9,999.99

STEM Access Initiative: 10-15% OFF

Making An Impact

Since launching the initiative in 2021, Kid Spark has provided STEM learning to over 30 educational providers impacting over 20,000 students. Our audacious goal is to provide STEM learning to 300,000 children in underserved communities by 2027.

STEM Access Recipients

Harry S Truman Elementary

Webb City, MO

Conkwright Elementary

Winchester, KY

Burns Elementary-Middle

Detroit, MI

Moffett Public School

Moffett, OK

See all program recipients here.

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