Full STEAM Ahead

By: LiliAnn Paras | February 28, 2022 |  |  Colts Neck , Fair Haven , Holmdel , Lincroft , Little Silver , Locust , Red Bank , Rumson , Sea Bright

FEATURED PHOTO: Leigh Dym (center), Founder & Executive Director of STEAMpark, with Executive Teen Board Members | CREDIT: Carmela Caracappa

Q: What can occur when a motivated individual acts on an idea and enlists the community to make it a reality?

A: STEAMpark, a non-profit organization to inspire life-long learning.

Five years ago, Leigh Dym— concerned about both the lack of after school activities for underserved children, and scarce activities for all those not involved in sports—decided to act. She recruited many of her Rumson neighbors to set up programs focused on STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. And so began STEAMpark, an organization dedicated to helping children in kindergarten through eighth grade to each reach their full potential, regardless of income or zip code.

STEAM (and STEM) programs reach beyond merely reciting the concepts and vocabulary of these topics. STEAMpark provides hands-on learning with real world applications. “For example, if it’s a science activity, they may be exploding things or building things, (laughs) and, we always pull in computer literacy support,” explained Leigh.

The students come from diverse backgrounds, the vast majority living throughout Monmouth County. There are also a handful of students from five other states and one from Saudi Arabia. When the pandemic hit, the Fair Haven school district approached STEAMpark about offering a virtual program. The needed supplies were delivered, and to make it more fun, students were awarded for their efforts with prizes picked up at the home of a Fair Haven volunteer. However, most of the children involved in STEAMpark programs attend schools in areas of need.
 

PHOTO: Leigh Dym, Founder and Executive Director of STEAMpark | CREDIT:Carmela Caracappa
 

“Some kids are being left behind so fast,” said Leigh. “They live in a home with parents who have insufficient resources to support their children. These kids sometimes become embarrassed and can eventually shut down. Programs like ours offer social equity. We want to make sure the kids are not afraid to fail, and recognize that failure is an opportunity to learn.”
 

PHOTO: STEAMpark took two groups of campers from Asbury Park and Keansburg on a field trip to Liberty Science Center this past summer.

Through donations and grants from organizations such as Social Creatures, the Jules L Plangere, Jr Family Foundation, and the Johnny Carson Foundation, STEAMpark is able to supply all the necessary kits and Chromebooks to distribute for virtual, at-home learning. Local high school students serve as role models and sometimes even coding instructors, alongside certified teachers. The Teen Board, advised by Tricia Lamendola, continues to be instrumental in proposing and executing the wide variety of programs offered virtually and in person. An in-person program is located in Keansburg, with a Trenton opening planned for April. Leigh is also enthusiastic about the program they operate in Asbury Park at the Second Baptist Church. “We love working with the church,” Leigh said. “We will never leave!”

One of STEAMpark’s strengths is the ability to adapt to the evolving needs of the students, to the pandemic, and to social realities. A few years ago, a flagship program called STEMgirls emerged after a STEAMpark presentation at the Neptune library. Although times have certainly changed from 20 years ago- when Mattel was roundly criticized for its Teen Talk Barbie exclaiming ‘Math class is tough!’ – there is still work to be done. At the library event, Leigh overheard a group of girls saying they didn’t like STEM.

“I don’t think they even knew what STEM really was! So, we started STEMgirls and geared our coding program to suit the girls’ interests,” said Leigh. “That program is now full year, with enrollment of 95 girls from more than 60 schools. Supported by global companies such as leading financial services company Instinet and pharma giant Bristol Myers Squibb, it helps girls build STEM skills, reading fluency and computer literacy in a holistic way.”

STEMgirls also offers girls a chance to reduce the social isolation caused by the pandemic, to explore their personalities, and expand their interests with confidence in a safe place. Recently the girls were troubled and frightened by social justice events. The girls brought their concerns to the staff, expressing their desire to attend a march. “I get a little teary thinking about that time,” shared Leigh. “I had our staff work with a trauma specialist to help us understand what to say and how to support our girls.” Realizing it was important for their voices to be heard in a safe place, the STEMgirls staff initiated a solution. The girls spent class time sharing with teachers and peers, then were taught how to code their feelings and thoughts with words and pictures using JavaScript as a programming language.

Another STEAMpark initiative is now a pilot program supported by Mount Sinai Hospital and Social Creatures in New York City. During the pandemic, when in-person classes were halted and social workers had stopped visiting homes, teen board member Micaeli Dym created Teen Tutoring. Leigh contacted Dr. Rosemarie Perry, an applied research scientist from NYU about the idea, and she was impressed. Dr. Perry helped set up the program to match teen volunteers with students and created a system to measure weekly progress. This collaboration resulted in The Generational Youth Mentors (GYM) Program wherein there is an hour of virtual instruction once a week and the extra benefit of establishing friendships and trust. “GYM is in the pre-pilot stage and all the mentors and attendees are from STEAMpark. We are the living laboratory and the end goal is to scale it nationally,” said Leigh.

Other benefits of STEAMpark are the personal growth and reciprocal joy experienced by the volunteers. Rayan Jawa, Secretary of the Teen Board, spoke of the camaraderie among the board members. “What surprised me most about my involvement with STEAMpark is that we not only serve our local community as volunteers and tutors, but we also form connections with each other as like-minded individuals. While earning community service hours and making a difference, I’m also able to bond with the other members of the Teen Board and have fun,” shared Rayan.
 

PHOTO: STEAMpark, Inc. Executive Teen Board Members from left to right: Aarya Doshi, Co-president (High Tech HS); Mala Shah, Director of Membership (Rutgers Prep); Nidhi Nair, Events Committee Chair (High Tech HS); Micaeli Dym, Co-president (High Tech HS); Isabella Incognito, Treasurer (Trinity Hall HS); Michael Chen, volunteer (High Tech HS); Sanai Rice, Co-Social Media Committee Chair (Middletown North HS); Missing from photo: Sophia Risin, Logistics Director (Stanford Online HS); Rayan Jawa, Secretary (Holmdel HS); Julianna Walsh, Co-Social Media Committee Chair (Trinity Hall HS) | CREDIT: Carmela Caracappa


1. PHOTO: Sophia Risin (left), Teen Board Logistics Director, with a student.
Rayan Jawa (left), Teen Board Secretary, playing chess with a student.
2. PHOTO: Rayan Jawa (left), Teen Board Secretary, playing chess with a student.
 

The teen volunteers get the most fulfillment from making a difference in the young students’ lives. Sophia Risin, Logistics Director, recalled what happened when she gave a “real” book to a child in a paper-free school district. “The student became a serial reader, more excited to participate in class, and flourished in classes. The simple act of giving someone a book and talking had the effect of changing an entire demeanor and helping the student improve in school.” And Rayan experienced the satisfaction of seeing the concepts of chess bring pleasure to one of the summer campers. “I was able to teach a student how to play chess. Seeing his eyes light up was really motivating, and he even began to skip snack breaks and movie times to practice playing.” Micaeli recalled a similar experience at the summer Inspire Life STEAM Camp. “One student had more setbacks in his eleven years than most people experience in a lifetime. He was brilliant. However, he had lacked support and didn’t have the tools to excel in learning. We went to a local urban garden. He asked thought-provoking questions and I explained to him how the bees pollinated the strawberry plants. He had never even tried a strawberry before, and it gave me such joy to see the wheels turning in his head. This moment affected me deeply. I was surprised with how much of a difference I can make as a kid myself. There is nothing quite like the light in kids’ eyes when a new concept clicks for them and they are excited by learning.”

The teen volunteers witness firsthand the disparity of available resources, and have made it their mission to level the playing field for as many children as possible.

Volunteers and supporters can find out more at www.steampark.org. A fun way to support STEAMpark is at the upcoming 2022 Texas Hold ‘Em Charity Poker Tournament at Monmouth Park on Thursday, March 24. To register or become a sponsor, visit www.steampark.org/poker.
 

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