STEAM & Dream Liberation Labs

Chicago Tech Academy: Hands-On Hardware & Coding with Tech to the Future 10th graders at Chi Tech Academy recently took on a challenging project through our Tech to the Future program where they built and programmed temperature sensors. Working in pairs, they tackled: ?????????Hardware Engineering: Assembling circuits on breadboards. ?????????Coding: Programming Micro:bits in JavaScript to create temperature alerts. The goal? A functional sensor with a buzzer that triggers when temperatures exceed a set threshold. This project honed their skills in teamwork, problem-solving, and STEM fundamentals. See their work in the photos. Follow and connect for more updates! #STEAMandDream #TechToTheFuture #Microbit #Coding #HardwareEngineering #ChiTechAcademy

?? Celebrating Our STEM Learning Lead, Nadia Roberts! ?? STEAM & Dream is incredibly proud to congratulate Nadia Roberts on her acceptance into University of Illinois Chicago’s Pharmacy Program! ???? Nadia graduated last fall from Saint Xavier University with a bachelor’s in biology and has continued to make a lasting impact as a STEM Learning Lead across three of our program sites. From day one, she has been a driving force in our Healthcare to the Future track—inspiring students, leading hands-on learning, and making STEM exciting and accessible. She even helped develop our first-ever pharmacy activity, which became a huge hit with students! ??? Nadia, we are so excited to see all that you will accomplish next! Thank you for your leadership, passion, and commitment to shaping the next generation of STEM innovators. And for helping more youth envision themselves as Future Pharmacists like yourself! We’re honored to be part of your journey— and will continue to cheer you on! ???? #STEAMandDream #HealthcareToTheFuture #FuturePharmacist #WomenInSTEM #STEMLeadership #PharmacyInnovator #UICBound #SaintXavierAlum

? A Visit from the Black Student Athlete Association: Exploring Sports & STEM! Last month, student-athletes from the Black Student Athlete Association visited Legacy Charter School of Chicago and Chicago Tech Academy inspiring the next generation by sharing their journeys as Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Cybersecurity, and Business majors. Special thanks to Kaya J., Julianna Moore, Alec Donald, and Garrison Carter for taking the time to connect with students, answer questions, and highlight the intersection of sports, academics, and STEM. The students were so excited to engage with you all! ???? Thank you for your energy, time, and inspiring the next generation! #STEAMandDream #RepresentationMatters #STEMandSports

STEAM & Dream is thrilled to welcome Benjamin Serrano as our Healthcare to the Future STEM Learning Lead! Benjamin, a proud Chicagoan, began his career as a teacher and is currently pursuing his nursing degree at Rush University. Every week, he mentors at Legacy Charter School of Chicago, passionately inspiring kids about healthcare careers. Join us in celebrating Benjamin’s inspiring journey and commitment to empowering the next generation in STEM and healthcare! #STEAMandDream #STEMEducation #healthcare #Nursingcareers #RepresentationMatters #Mentorship #STEM

Big Partnership Announcement! We’re thrilled to share our first Chicago Public Schools partnership with Randolph Elementary. Through this partnership, students will engage in both Healthcare to the Future and Tech to the Future tracks—expanding their horizons in STEAM from an early age. Follow and connect for more updates! #STEAMDreamLabs #STEMpartnerships #HealthcaretotheFuture #techtothefuture #EarlySTEMexposure #ChicagoPublicSchools

?? STEAM & Dream Spotlight: Dr. Ozzie Smith ??? We were thrilled to welcome Dr. Ozzie Smith III to speak with our The Academy Group, Inc. about careers in dentistry! ???? Through his visit, students learned about his journey into the field, the importance of oral health, and tips for keeping a healthy smile. Our 6th and 7th graders even got hands-on by practicing proper flossing techniques before diving into a creative human anatomy modeling activity using clay! ???? Thank you, Dr. Smith, for inspiring our students and showing them the possibilities in healthcare careers! ???? #STEAMandDream #FutureDentists #STEMEducation #HandsOnLearning #oralhealth #dentistry

?? Exciting News: Welcoming Our New STEAM Learning Lead! ?? We’re thrilled to introduce Camelia Sam as our newest STEAM Learning Lead, supporting our Tech to the Future programs at Legacy Charter School of Chicago, Perspectives Charter Schools, and Gary Comer Youth Center this spring! Camelia holds a Bachelor’s in Marketing with a Minor in Computer Science from University of Illinois at Chicago, Driven by her passion for innovation and mentorship, Camelia will empower our students to explore the future of tech and engineering through hands-on, culturally affirming learning experiences. Welcome to the STEAM & Dream Liberation Labs team, Camelia! We can’t wait to see the impact you’ll make. ??? #STEAMandDream #STEMEducation #TechToTheFuture #ComputerScience #RepresentationMatters #Mentorship #STEM #WomenInSTEM

?? Big news ?? We’re thrilled to share that STEAM & Dream Liberation Labs is now an official CPS vendor! We can’t wait to partner with Chicago Public Schools to spark creativity, innovation, and a passion for STEAM in students across the city. Let’s collaborate and empower our future innovators together! #steamdream #steamdreamliberationlabs #cpschicago #chicagopublicschools #stemprogram #stemlearning #schoolpartnership

?? STEAM & Dream in Action! ?? Check out our 4th–7th graders diving into hands-on STEM learning through our Healthcare to the Future and Tech to the Future tracks! ???? ?? 7th graders in our Healthcare to the Future track got an exclusive look into the world of dentistry with guest speaker Dr. Ozzie Smith III He shared his inspiring journey—from Morehouse University to building a successful dental practice that creates beautiful smiles. With less than 4% of U.S. dentists being Black and only 6% Hispanic, representation and exposure to healthcare careers like dentistry are more important than ever! After hearing from Dr. Smith, students put their knowledge to the test by building their own dental models. ?? 4th–6th graders in our Tech to the Future track had a special visit from Raj Krishnan a tech leader at Microsoft, who shared his path into the world of technology. Students then got hands-on by coding Micro:bits and robots using Scratch, bringing their creative ideas to life! At STEAM & Dream, we’re committed to expanding STEM pathways for youth by providing early exposure, mentorship, and hands-on experiences that make a difference. ??? ?? Watch our future innovators in action! #RepresentationMatters #STEAMandDream #steamdreamlabs #STEMEducation #FutureLeaders #HealthcareToTheFuture #TechToTheFuture #Dentistry #Coding #Mentorship #HandsOnLearning

?? Exciting News: Welcoming Our New STEAM Learning Lead! ?? We’re thrilled to introduce Jordan Guerrier as our newest STEAM Learning Lead, supporting our Technology and Engineering the Future programs at Gary Comer Youth Center and Gary Comer Middle School this spring! Jordan is a graduate student at Purdue University focusing on Artificial Intelligence, and holds a Bachelor’s in Applied Mathematics from DePaul University. With his passion for innovation and problem-solving, Jordan will play a key role in empowering our students to explore the future of tech and engineering through hands-on, culturally affirming learning experiences. Welcome to the STEAM & Dream Liberation Labs team, Jordan! We can’t wait to see the impact you’ll make. ??? #STEAMandDream #STEMEducation #AI #EngineeringTheFuture #TechToTheFuture #RepresentationMatters #Mentorship #STEM #steamdreamliberationlabs #collegementorsforkids #collegementors