Boys & Girls Clubs promote importance of STEM

FALLBROOK – On May 28, the Boys & Girls Clubs of North County was invited to the STEM Champions Celebration to learn and share best practices regarding STEM after school programs. Staff from the Boys & Girls Club and San Diego County Parks and Recreation presented a video to over 100 guests demonstrating the innovative STEM programming happening in Fallbrook.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) activities are designed to give kids an opportunity to develop the skills they need to succeed in the classroom, and in the workplace. During the 2013-14 school year, the Boys & Girls Clubs of North County joined in the movement by offering formalized STEM programming during afterschool hours.

Staff from the club meet with students from third to eighth grade once a week during the Boys & Girls Club’s afterschool program to engage them in experiments that test scientific theories, games that examine their knowledge of math, and challenges that help them express their creativity in engineering and technology. Staff work to make STEM activities fun in an effort to encourage interest and participation.

According to a study done by Afterschool Alliance, 1.7 million kids in California are on their own during the hours after school, and 2 million kids in California have said they would participate in an afterschool program if one were available to them.

“With the need for science and math increasing in the workplace, we understand how important it is to offer kids these extra opportunities outside of school to increase their exposure to these critical skills,” said Allison Barclay, CPO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of North County. Studies show that kids who increase their STEM knowledge and skills have improved test scores and have a higher high school graduation rate.

For more information on the STEM afterschool program or any other afterschool program offered by the Boys & Girls Clubs of North County call (760) 728-5871.