Giving All Kids the Chance to be Makers:
White House Initiative Recognizes KID Museum’s Commitment to Latino Youth.
As part of our commitment to bringing high-quality, STEM-based programming to diverse populations, KID Museum is honored to be nationally recognized by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.
The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics was established 25 years ago to improve access to learning for Latino children. The Initiative has formally recognized KID Museum’s Commitment to Action, which details our plan to serve Latino youth through a variety of hands-on programs.
In partnerships with select Montgomery County middle schools and Identity (an organization that serves Latino kids), we are providing intensive, STEM-based “Invention Studio” programs, where students can design and create their own inventions in the fields of robotics, digital music-making, circuits and aerodynamics.
KID Museum piloted this program with Parkland Middle School during the 2014-15 school year, to great success. Parkland students built robots, flying machines, light-up circuit cities, and digital music tracks over the course of six visits, and credited the experience with igniting a love of science, and giving them a new-found confidence in their abilities.
The museum is also partnering with Excel Beyond the Bell, bringing STEM programming to additional middle schools for after-school workshops, and has planned a series of outreach events that focus on Latino neighborhoods. And building upon last year’s collaboration with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and the US Patent and Trade Office, KID Museum will bring even more hands-on STEM programming to Latino youth throughout the region.