Young Audiences of Louisiana Receives 10K from Capital One Bank for Afterschool STEM programs

Young Audiences of Louisiana (YALA) has received $10,000 from Capital One Bank to support its afterschool science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs. The 15-week pilot initiative for students in grades third through eighth is operating at four schools in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes.

YALA currently offers stand-alone afterschool STEM lessons, and this program is its first multi-week, multi-school initiative. Participating schools include: Martin Behrman Elementary School, Morris Jeff Community School, Lincoln Elementary School, and Young Audiences Charter School at Kate Middleton.

“We are so thrilled and thankful to Capital One Bank for offering us this opportunity to extend out afterschool STEM programs,” said YALA Executive Director Rickie Nutik. “Our goal is for students to master STEM through arts-integrated experiences and to develop a love for STEM that translates into future careers.”
 
The four partner schools are hosting STEM sessions after school for a 2.5 hour period once per week for fifteen weeks. Fifteen participants from each school  are attending the hands-on, arts-integrated STEM classes. Activities reinforce core curriculum content in subject areas such as: biology, architecture, design, engineering, and chemistry. Additional goals are to increase student interest in the pursuit of STEM careers and build critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
 
Each participating student receives a total of 31 out-of-class hours of arts-integrated STEM curriculum support.  Based on the success of the pilot program and additional funding, YALA endeavors to expand the program to additional schools and summer camp programs.
 
“Capital One Bank is pleased to support YALA’s after-school STEM program,” said Karen DeBlieux, Southeast Louisiana Market President for Capital One Bank. “As a leading corporate citizen in greater New Orleans, we want to help people, including local youth, develop skills for the 21st century. STEM programs like this one offered by YALA can inspire children to dream big and pursue knowledge to help develop needed solutions and services.”
 
About Capital One:
Capital One is committed to Investing for Good to help the communities it serves grow and thrive. Capital One focuses on investing in local community-based partnerships and programs that advance skills for the 21st century, small business development and financial well-being. Through its “Future Edge” initiative, announced in 2015, Capital One is focusing $150 million of community grants over five years to help more Americans succeed in a digital economy.
 
About Young Audiences of Louisiana:
Last year over 200 teaching artists, educators, athletic and recreation specialists, and technology instructors were paid nearly $2 million to work directly with students from preschool through high school, accounting for 70% of YALA’s total budget. To learn more about our mission of inspiring, empowering, and uniting children and communities through education, arts, and culture, please visit our website at www.ya4la.org.