This fall, Project Exploration is launching 22 programs across 8 sites, serving students from Kindergarten through 12th grade.
For the first time, we’re introducing our Building Block Club (K–2nd grade) at two new schools—It Takes a Village in Bronzeville and Catalyst Circle Rock Charter School in Austin.
“We always launch [programming for] K-2 because it’s where most of the population is,” explained Program Operations Director María Avila. “But it’s also great, because if they’re emotionally safe and excited, they can choose to continue through the other years.”
From hands-on engineering projects to exploring outer space, this season’s curriculum is designed to spark joy, curiosity, and confidence in every student.
Avila, who used to teach and studied early childhood education, explained that she has a soft spot for the Building Block Club program because students get to play as they learn.
In August, Staff and facilitators tabled at a Back to School event at It Takes A Village campus in Bronzeville. Photo by Project Exploration.
In August, Staff and facilitators tabled at a Back to School event at It Takes A Village campus in Bronzeville. Photo by Project Exploration.
Important Dates & Events
A flyer showcases notable dates and events for the fall, with the message “mark your calendars.” Graphic by Project Exploration.
Mark Your Calendars!
Programs kick off this month, and we can’t wait to see you.
- September 15 – Early Start Programs begin at It Takes a Village (Bronzeville) and the West Side STEM Learning Center (SLC) at Bethel New Life
- October 6 – School-based programs launch across additional sites
Plus, join us for these special events this fall:
- 🎃 October 30 – Austoberfest at Columbus Park
- 🚀 November 7 – STEM Career Fun Friday
- 🍲 November 21 – STEM Family Night & Family Giving Potluck
New Curriculum Highlights
This fall, students will dive into hands-on projects that bring STEM to life:
- 🏰 Building Block Club (K–2nd grade): Exploring engineering and design by building Shrek’s castle.
- 🌌 Little Sisters & Little Brothers for Science (3rd–5th grade): Discovering the universe while creating a rotating solar system model.
- 🔍 Sisters & Brothers for Science (6th–8th grade): Stepping into the world of forensic science and solving a mystery.
Left to right, Program Operations Director María Avila and Program Operations Assistant Angela Guzman present on the new curriculum to STEAMbassador facilitators during training at the STEM Learning Center at Bethel New Life. Photo by Project Exploration.
Beyond the big projects, students will also focus on three important areas:
- Building relationships – creating safe, supportive spaces for students.
- Learning tools – gaining supervised, age-appropriate practice using real tools to create and experiment.
- Exploring STEM careers – introducing students to the possibilities ahead.
We designed this approach using insights from our program evaluation—in other words, we shaped it based on what students told us and how they engaged in last year’s programs.
“We look at the spring in the summer data and see how the students interact, how they feel about what they are doing,” said Avila. “Tools Explorers* is a very new thing, because we noticed that over the summer some of the students didn’t know how to use a ruler. And they were supposed to create these houses for an engineering curriculum, but they had to go backwards. We said, ‘Okay we see the needs, so now we’re gonna put it as a part of the curriculum.’”
*Tools Explorers is always hands-on, staff-supervised, and safety-first—giving students the confidence to use everyday tools responsibly while unlocking their creativity.
This past summer, Little Brothers for Science (3rd-5th boys) students used a Chomp Saw, right, to cut cardboard as part of the marble run curriculum. Photo by Project Exploration.
This past summer, Little Brothers for Science (3rd-5th boys) students used a Chomp Saw, right, to cut cardboard as part of the marble run curriculum. Photo by Project Exploration.