FULL STEAM FORWARD

“As a small nonprofit that launched in 2020, we are immensely grateful to the Amplify Her Foundation for this grant, which will allow us to expand our free afterschool STEAM programming to reach even more girls of color in NYC. We are thrilled to be a part of the Amplify Her family and look forward to collaborating with our fellow grantees as we work to provide young girls in NYC with the skills, confidence, and mentorship necessary to create future changemakers.”
— Joni Bessler, CEO, Full STEAM Forward

MISSION 

Full STEAM Forward provides free, after-school Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) programming to young girls of color from underserved communities. Full Steam Forward was founded by a team of women with long careers in education, business, and science. They were united by their desire to help young girls gain access to impactful STEM programming, encourage them to remain passionate about the sciences throughout their education, and ultimately obtain careers in the fastest growing segments of the economy. They are committed to creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive STEM workforce. At the heart of FSF's mission is their belief that the underrepresentation of women of color in STEM begins with a lack of access to after-school science enrichment programs.

 
 

GRANT PURPOSE & IMPACT

Amplify Her Foundation funding will support Full STEAM Forward’s current programming for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade girls living in Brooklyn, New York, and to support the organization’s efforts to build a robust Professional Development program as they add new teachers.

Full Steam Forward’s bespoke three-year program explores an array of science topics and formats designed to provide a highly impactful, grade-appropriate curriculum. Their 3rd and 4th grade programs offer 26 weeks of after-school classes each year. Online programs consist of a cohort of 15 girls engaged in a highly interactive curriculum, delivered by certified teachers and college-aged mentors. Students receive 1.5-hours of synchronously-led instructional sessions per week, always inclusive of an interactive, hands-on project exploring one of the STEAM elements. 

Their 5th grade program, Science in My City, expands on the topics explored during the previous two years, and allows students to apply what they’ve already learned by engaging in real world experiences within their communities. This program combines 14 online classes with 4 field trips to local cultural institutions like the botanic gardens, planetarium, and zoo to help students see and evaluate socio-scientific issues that affect their community. 

With support from the Amplify Her Foundation, Full STEAM Forward will provide after-school STEAM enrichment programming to approximately 120 girls from 4 different schools in the Ascend Public Charter School network, based in Brooklyn.