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January - December 2023

Annual Report

Leadership Team

Dr. Leena Bakshi McLean

Executive Director

Dr. Jennifer Muñoz

Senior Director of Programs

Our Why

Our Mission

We provide joyful and high quality STEM professional learning that combines STEM content and Culturally Responsive Teaching.

Our Promise

We make education socially just #4Real through instructional planning, professional learning, action planning, and leadership development. We will do this by recognizing and dismantling inequitable systems and rebuilding your education system #4Real with all students first.

Our Values

Content + Social Justice + Cultural Responsiveness

We combine principles of equity, social justice and culturally responsive teaching so that educators are learning about standards-based (NGSS/CCSS/Emergent Bilingual) instruction and differentiating for all student groups accordingly.

Engagement

We engage with educators during the presentation- there is always an active component where we are thinking, doing, reflecting, and collaborating. We never just "talk at" our audience all day. We teach and model what we are asking our teachers to do in their classrooms, whether it is live or virtually.

Implementation and Action

We provide tools and resources that can be immediately used in the classroom. There is no need to purchase a set of curriculum or expensive materials. We focus on teacher pedagogy and shifting teacher practice to create student-centered learning modules grounded in student curiosity.

Joy

Happy Educators = Happy Students! We have fun!

Company Goals - 2023

Goal

Continue program growth

Achievement

In 2023, STEM4Real worked with 19 partner schools and organizations, up from 13 in 2022.

Goal

Hire a sales lead

Achievement

The STEM4Real team did not hire for the Sales Lead position in 2023; however, we did add a Senior Director of Programs who serves a liaison with partners.

Goal

Obtain grant funding

Achievement

STEM4Real received a $250K grant from the New Schools Foundation to continue social justice work in STEM.

Goal

Enhance HR offerings

Achievement

A team retreat was held in October; in 2023 the team also added a Lead Researcher.

Our Main Clients

  • Ravenswood City School District
  • Fontana Unified School District
  • Rialto Unified School District
  • Hayward Unified School District
  • Hālāu Kū Māna Public Charter School
  • Solano County Office of Education
  • Center for EcoLiteracy

Social Media Stats

3850 Followers; Increased 78% YOY

1.1K Likes; 5 Star Rating; 415 Members in STEM4Real group; Increased 8% YOY

1425 Followers in 2023; Increased 4% YOY

2211 Followers in 2023; Increased 35% YOY

2023 Highlights

Conference Presentations

  • NSELA, "Leading Science through an Anti-Bias MTSS Framework, #4Real"
  • NSTA, "Science without Borders: Collaborating to Connect Students to Africa"
  • NSTA, “Leading Science through an Equity-Based MTSS Framework”
  • NSTA, “Is Science a Right or a Privilege for ’Those Kids?’ Creating Culturally Responsive Science Curriculum for All Students”
  • Educational Services Summit, “Leading STEM through an Anti-Bias MTSS Framework, #4Real”
  • CAST UDL, “Recognize, Dismantle, Rebuild”
  • CAST UDL, “Inspiring Learner Voice through Racial and Social Justice in UDL”
  • TIES, “Is Science a Right or a Privilege for ’Those Kids?’ Creating Culturally Responsive Science Curriculum for All Students”
  • CASE, “Anti-Bias in Science: Is Science a Right or a Privilege?”
  • CASE, “The Special Case of Elementary Science Specialists: Is it Equitable?”
  • CASE, "Politics of Trees: The Intersection of Science, Race, and Environmental Justice"
  • CASE, "Supporting All Students with CAST through an Anti-Bias Lens"
  • CASE, “aCross Content: Leveraging CCCs to Teach Social Justice in Science”
  • ICSC, “Using AI for Universal Design Learning #4Real”
  • ACSA, “AI as a Lever for Anti-Racist and Anti-Bias (ABAR) Lesson Design TK-12”
  • Courageous Conversation, “Truth about Access: Leveraging Anti-Bias in STEM”
  • Schools of the Future Conference, “Leveraging Anti-Bias and Justice-Centered Education, #4Real: A TwoPronged Approach to Address Anti-Bias in Leadership Systems and Curriculum/Instruction”
  • Schools of the Future Conference, “Youth Action: Taking a Solutionary Approach to Address the Intersections of Science, Land, Race, and Environmental Justice”
  • Q10 Conference, “STEM4Real: Advancing Social Justice in Science Instruction through the Q10 Framework”

Podcast

  • Currently on Season Three, 24 Episodes Published
  • Rated 5 Stars

Company Goals - 2024

Goal

Diversify funding sources

Details

Increase funding via book sales and speaking engagements.

Goal

Expand STEM4Real team

Details

Hire a Director of Partnerships and a grant writer.

Goal

Develop Management Strategy

Details

Schedule bi-yearly supervision meetings with Operations and Programming staff.

Goal

Implement sales plan

Details

Hire sales support and/or coaching.

Testimonials

"I think something finally clicked because I was able to incorporate everything and start to plan for next school year. "

Exit Ticket, Hālāu Kū Māna

"No matter how much we learn and understand about bias and social injustice, we can always learn more by going deeper. ”

Key Takeaway, Hayward Unified School District

"I have all this artistic part in my brain, but STEM4Real empowered me to link NGSS to my ideas. And to put all this engage and steps together, I couldn’t do that without you especially with the proper formatting and technology. When I heard you talk about how to support teachers, you did all that for me. ”

Testimonial, Jacqueline Lafitte (Cherryland Elementary) on STEM4Real podcast

Download the STEM4Real 2023 Annual Report in PDF

Download here