Dear Friends, Family and Community,
Hello and warm regards. Hold on: before you read this letter, say out loud, “I am absolutely wonderful!”
Now why did you just say that? Because with your help this holiday season, STEAMpark is celebrating its third year of service in New Jersey. Thanks to big hearts of donors like you, we’ve enriched the lives of over two hundred students with curriculum-based after-school programs, community events and summer camps; all with the guiding principles of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.
Sometimes I have to pinch myself! It’s an incredible honor to be a part of this “little engine that could” public charity as it works tirelessly to provide educational, emotional and wellness support to kids that need it more than you can ever imagine. But guess what: you and I still have work to do.
When you make a donation, you make a difference in the lives of underprivileged New Jersey kids who deserve a shot at a better future, and right now is the time!
Children in disadvantaged communities fail at alarming rates. They grow up without developing marketable skills necessary to enter the workforce, unable to navigate roadblocks that stand in the way of a stable future. Why? When parents or grandparents grapple with food insecurity, unsafe housing, unemployment, addiction and/or mental health issues, children are raised with high levels of chronic stress. It can become an insurmountable task to break the cycle of poverty. Forget holiday presents – many don’t even get dinner.
There are too few options for reliable after school enrichment, social-emotional care, wellness programs (brushing teeth, exercise, healthy eating), homework help, and a safe place to go in the summers. Some of our students come to us in unwashed clothes, unable to read at ten years old, nervous about adult problems their parents are experiencing, and hungry even though they get a free lunch at school every day.
Here’s the terrific, exciting thing: YOU are helping STEAMpark, INC to make a difference right now, right here at home, by supporting STEAMpark’s curriculum-based enrichment programs that go on all year long, providing loving mentors and project-based lessons to promote inquiry-based and active learning. With genuine care for the total child, you are helping to improve the trajectory for children in underserved communities, building their job potential and igniting an appreciation of their own value in today’s ever-changing world. STEAMpark students feel safe, confident to try harder math problems or read out loud in front of their peers.
STEAMpark reliably provides academic support; social-emotional care; and FUN, standards-based curriculum when school is out, filling gaps of care and achievement for children in the hidden corners of society. Our students grow as critical thinkers, readers, and friends. They learn to redirect anger and navigate adversity, using words and logic to solve problems. We partner with Fulfill of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, who provide healthy meals to students in our programs. After all, it’s easier to learn when your belly is full.
Here’s a list of the STEAMpark programs that your year-end, tax-deductible donation will fund:
- STEAMcamp Summer School Program for Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd Grades
On campus at Joseph Caruso School in Keansburg, this free program offers breakfast and lunch plus academic, hands-on classes in math, science, reading, writing, drama, art, music, games, movement, and cooking every day in a small- class setting with |certified teachers and teen counselors. Average attendance in 2018 was 74 students; projection for 2019 is 100 students. *Note: this is the only affordable, all-day program available to all children living in Keansburg when school is out for the summer.
- STEMgirls! Weekly Workshops
Based on a successful pilot in Neptune Public Library, this girl-centric STEM program will expand to more towns in 2020. The idea is simple: girls in disadvantaged communities typically don’t develop STEM skills because they lack confidence, role models and a safe space to learn at their own pace. Many also prefer to pet puppies and save the world rather than battle mobs! Girls in this 3-hour unique program are building literacy skills, learning to code, and exploring science with fun, hands-on projects.
- Coding & Gamers Club for Elementary and Middle School Students
With the partnership of educators and students from High Technology High School in Lincroft, this weekly program will debut in January 2020 in Asbury Park, Keansburg and Neptune, offering students safe and productive ways to enjoy technology, learn to collaborate, and build 21st century skills. These pilots will be both school- and community-based, with intentions of producing a scalable model to expand in 2021.
- Inspire LIFE! Fine Arts & Technology Camp
Now in its 2nd year of collaboration, STEAMpark is providing academic instruction for Second Baptist Church’s full-day summer STEAM camp in Asbury Park, dedicated to helping at-risk students stay safe and to keep the dreaded ‘summer slide’ at bay with fun, thematic curriculum tied to state learning standards.
- STEAMpark Academy After School Enrichment Program
This free weekly program will offer young students in an at-risk Asbury Park school a fun, educational experience steeped in science, tech, engineering, arts and math. With this year’s curricular theme New Jersey Boardwalk, students will do things like build roller coasters, plan menus for concession stands, and develop financial literacy with play money. They’ll learn to ask questions, solve problems and make friends. (This program will be run in collaboration with the Boys & Girls Club of Monmouth County.)
Economic sustainability is hard when you’re serving the underserved. You and I need to constantly replenish that glass that tends to stay half full. Volunteers and staff make so much happen with so little, but the only way forward is with your help. Won’t you consider a year-end tax deductible gift? Please use the enclosed envelope or visit www.steampark.org (it’s easy with a credit card) and give today.
With warmest wishes for a happy, healthy holiday season filled with love,
Jennifer Leigh Dym
Executive Director, STEAMpark, INC.
P.s. We’re so grateful for any size donation you can make- every little bit helps!
STEAMpark, INC is a registered 501(c)3 public charity. Thank you for your kindness & support!
instagram: @steam.park
facebook: @STEAMparkInc
twitter: @STEAMpark_KB