Program Empowering New York Teachers to Spark Enthusiasm for STEAM Learning Launches Today

From today, scholars at Barnard College are working with pre-K through 8th grade teachers to share best practices for instruction in STEAM fields. At the same time that the teachers are finding ways to use city parks as sites of interactive learning, they are also gaining strategies to boost confidence in teaching STEAM topics, an attitude that will be transmitted to their students they learn about those topics.

“This program is fundamentally about breaking down barriers—the barriers between research and teaching, between the classroom and the real world, and between educators and exciting, positive experiences with STEAM subjects,” said SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos. “Teachers are on the front lines of shaping our future. We’re proud to help Barnard empower them in making learning come alive for New York City students.”

“Now more than ever, colleges and universities have a responsibility to invest their resources in their local communities to ensure that young students aren’t left behind by pandemic-era school closures,” said Barnard College President Sian Leah Beilock. “Building on Barnard’s highly respected Science in the City and Math and the City programs, this collaboration with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation marks an exciting next step in Barnard’s commitment to the next generation’s academic success, and I look forward to seeing how our faculty experts can help enrich existing educational programs in the City.”

SNF has supported a variety other educational endeavors around STEAM subjects, from the programs offered at the V.Lab in the Greek village of Vamvakou to a STEAM Innovation Challenge on the DonorsChoose platform to help equip teachers with the resources they need to fully engage students.