After-school STEM programs that started at a youth center in North Lawndale are being replicated at a Chicago Public School due to their success.
In April, 10 students ages 9 to 12 pitched products they created at the end of a 10-week business and entrepreneurship program at Chicago Youth Centers’ Sidney Epstein Youth Center in North Lawndale. The program was the first put on by the Chicago Youth Advancement Initiative, a teen-founded nonprofit created last year to provide business and STEM instruction to young Chicagoans, especially those in underserved communities.
Founded by three seniors at Benet Academy in Lisle, CYAI expanded programs at the CYC-Sidney Epstein Youth Center. High school students working on the initiative brought a new after-school computer science and robotics program to10 students at the center. It launched at the end of last school year, continued through the summer, and CYAI is in talks with the youth center about bringing back the program this school year.
“Both parents and students were thrilled that we would be coming back to Sidney Epstein for a new program,” CYAI co-founder Michael Francis told Austin Weekly News. “Parents didn’t really understand what our organization was until they attended the Shark Tank, but afterwards they were eager to ensure their children could participate in our next program as well.”
Through CYAI, students learn about problem-solving and innovation through hands-on, interactive projects and games. CYAI programs are free to site hosts and participants, funded by Wintrust Bank and grants. One such grant from KidsMatter, for example, funded Lego robotics kits for CYAI’s computer science and robotics program at Sidney Epstein.
Now, CYAI is expanding after-school STEM and business programs into Chicago Public Schools. The initiative started at Alexander Graham Elementary on the Southwest Side in September as a pilot for expanding into other city schools. And CYAI is working with programming leaders at the Latin School of Chicago and suburban schools to help lead programs at new and additional sites.
“We couldn’t be more excited for this next stage of CYAI growth,” said CYAI co-founder Maclane Zich. “From here, our goal is to recruit more youth leaders across Chicago and further our impact with local students.”
“Our goal has always been to make the programs relatable but impactful,” said CYAI co-founder Nick Derbis. “This offers a great opportunity for us to continue reshaping after-school programming in a wider-reaching CPS system.”