Students from the Umatilla School District enjoyed the start of its after-school program on Monday, September 11th.
The after-school program, named the "STEAM Academy of Umatilla (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math)," aims to provide students with enriching and engaging activities that promote creativity, critical thinking, and hands-on learning. This program offers a wide range of opportunities for students to explore various STEAM disciplines, including robotics, coding, art, and scientific experiments.
"The after school environment is unique and important- students get to explore new interests, develop new skills, and consider various career options," said Superintendent Heidi Sipe. "I love to stop by and see what's happening in the various classes because students are always so excited to share what they're doing in their classes. I'm so thankful we've received the financial support we need to keep after-school programs in our district."
The district's after-school program is largely funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) afterschool and summer learning grant, which the district was just awarded again this year for the fourth time.
This grant process was highly competitive. Only 26 grants were awarded out of the 45 applicants.
The 21st CCLC grant provides the district $500,000 per year for the next five years. 100% of the funding will be awarded in the first three years of the grant. They will receive 90% of the original funding in year four and 80% in year five.
"We've offered after-school programming in Umatilla since 2003, and it's become an important part of our education system. Being awarded the 21st Century Community Learning Center grant assures we can continue this important program for our students and families," said Sipe.
Last school year, 745 Umatilla students participated in the STEAM Academy. This is over 50% of Umatilla's total enrollment. Students and families in the program complete surveys regarding the program. Last year, 98% of enrolled students reported feeling a sense of belonging and feeling welcomed in the program. Of the families surveyed, 96.8% reported seeing academic performance improvements in their students during the program.
The STEAM Academy offers a variety of classes for students every session to ensure students are able to find a class that interests them. This year, at the elementary level, students were able to participate in classes like Ready, Set, Engineer, Mystery Science, and Kinder Exploration. At the middle school and high school level, students have the option to take classes such as Robotics, Cooking, and Archery.
Fourth-grade student Ximena expressed how excited she was to be in the new coding class, Ode to Code, and shared how much she enjoyed her first day.
"It was a blast. Time went by so fast," said Ximena.
Beyond exploring new interests, the after-school program also provides students with experiences they might not encounter during the regular school day. From the student survey last year, one student responded, "I get to do things I probably wouldn't get to do if I didn't have after-school."