WATCH: STEAM From Theory to Practice

How a Los Angeles-based organization is empowering youth to use STEAM concepts to be leaders in their communities.

In his personal journey from being a young, Black student sitting in a classroom to leading one as a teacher, Jacob Adams has navigated many challenges within the education system. In particular, he has found that a focus on testing has done a disservice to young BIPOC students curious about the world around them.

In 2017, Adams founded STEM to the Future in Los Angeles to stoke the passion of students who want to create change in the world by engaging them with STEAM topics. Through the program’s Theory + Practice program, students create and lead initiatives addressing systemic issues in their communities. Together, they develop a clear vision for the world they want and deserve, use STEAM methods taught to them by the program’s STEAM experts to bring that vision to life, and then bring their projects to community based organizations in their area to implement them. STEM to the Future is helping students unlock their potential and realize that, through science, they have the power to address and solve issues in their community.

STEM to the Future, founded by Jacob Adams, joined the Science Sandbox community of awardees in 2022.

The Stories of Impact series highlights the real-world influences of Science Sandbox projects through personal narratives, videos and interviews. Discover more stories here.