Meet the STEM Impressionists: Student Mentors, Innovators, and Having a Vested Interest in Kids

Episode Main Points:

1) These kids are the leading driver to the success of the organization. 
2) They have a leader that believes in them, not just their talents and skills. She believes in them and it shows in what they have been able to accomplish over the last couple of years. 
3) Look what kids can do when they are given the opportunity, the freedom to express themselves.
4) Don't be afraid to learn from the kids. They are writing and teaching curriculum to other kids. They are spreading awareness and honing their skills all at the same time. 

www.stemimpressionist.org

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Transcript

Unknown: 0:32

Hi, and welcome to stimming in stilettos with Dr. Natasha, I have a really nice juicy guest for us today, she is going to talk about her organization, her story itself is also entertaining and well worth the wait. But we'll have to wait to have her on for another in different episode to talk about herself. Today we're talking about her organization. So hi, hi, Angela, the heart. So tell us about yourself briefly. And then let's talk about your organization. How are you today? I'm fine, and really glad to be here. Thank you. Um, and so briefly, who am I, I am a retired teacher, I was a teacher for 12 years, mostly Middle School, two years of high school. And now I'm doing a company that you've invited me to talk about, which is to stem and freshness. So the organization itself came out of out of my frustration, actually, at being a teacher, I was actually standing during my hallway duty, and watching the kids walk down the hall and just, you know, realizing that the kids really trust you that you're doing the right thing, to give them the skills that they need to move forward in their lives and be successful. And I didn't feel that that was happening at the level that it ought to. And I wanted to figure out what I could do to change that. So I gave, I wrote up an invitation for the students to come to an after school meeting, to talk about STEM, and the skills that are associated with that. And I was teaching at a title one school, and I wanted them to be able to go through and do things that would allow them to gain the skill and the exposure, so that they could apply for scholarships, and get into the school of their choice, and have a chance to do grants and so that they could use go anywhere they wanted. I thought that that was really important. And so I had about, I don't know, 20 kids came, it was a lot. And we started talking. I mean, that's how it started. But that's the best though because, you know, it's one thing for us as adults to have, you know, a thought like, I think this could be something that's really big, or something that's really useful, or that this is something that I think the kids need, and then to have kids sort of say, Yeah, we do need this. This we think we would be interested in this is totally it's it validates the experience. But it's also like, Okay, I'm out because you know, sometimes we step out and we say, Hey, I think this would be good. And then the kids are like, Yeah, no, exactly. You're like, this is a fantasy for you. But it's not for me. Yeah, that was that was most definitely and has sustained as the most one of the most important parts of, of the organization, I'd say there's two pillars. One is kid voice is number one, are really important. They have taught me many, many, many things that I did not know. And that we have to give back to community and grow so that other kids benefit from the experience to what love that. So I and I really love that for for two reasons is is that I believe that those two things are tied together in ways that we don't often get to talk about, especially with kids but in and around stem also. So when you talk about them finding their own voice and and for me and in this area, finding it early, is so important. It's it's majorly important. And it's the one area because stem opportunities for minority students and students of color are limited in some in some capacity. them having a voice and a say in what happens. It doesn't happen, what grants we go after what programs we're going to do, what activities we participate in, where we're headed. At a young age. Yes, yes. Yes. And then for it to be for it to be like community based. Yes, yes, yes. Oh, man. We We We did a lot of well, the purpose in reference to like, what, what do we actually do? Like, it was important to have hands on opportunities. I mean, that's like the fun part. We get to do robots and we get to do I don't know stuff. So like choose, you know what you want to do and then do it like enjoy that and be ready to teach somebody else. And then that gives them experiences to build up again for freshmen And in college, they can go on internships, they can just do things that they wouldn't be able to do. And there's quite a few high school programs that are out there right now that they're going to be eligible for, because they've been involved in this kind of work. So it allows them because Don't forget, we started in middle school, this was sixth, seventh, eighth grade. So they were building up a resume around doing this kind of work, so that by the time they got to high school, they just can do so many other things that they would not have been able to do. Had they not started in middle school, especially for girls. Because if you in my opinion, do not catch girls in middle school, for STEM, you're well, the pipeline dries up very quickly. Yeah, this is super important for them, because they're awesome. In middle school. Well, that's the that's what the research, the resource, the research supports that idea that if we don't get the girls, by the time they get to sixth grade, we've lost them. They've already decided what it is they can and can't do. Absolutely. Which is really sad. I mean, a 12 year old, an 11 year old deciding they've already decided, Okay, I can't, I can't do that, you know, and it's, you know, it's like, but really, so we have a short amount of time to make a huge difference in the life of these students. So Yep, absolutely. Um, because I think the from sixth grade to ninth grade, or like the five years, that really, really, really, really matter. And catching them early is always just good. Because, yes, and then they're so enthusiastic. And then sixth grade, they still like will follow, you know, yeah, you get that little bit of last year, which they will actually do what you say, without a whole lot of pushback until that is like amazing. Um, and I think it's important to realize that, you know, I said I was a teacher, but I wasn't, I'm not a science teacher. I am a science teacher, because I believe that home economics, also known as Family and Consumer Science is actually a science. And so but that is what I was in. So I'm not a standard science teacher. I'm not a math teacher. I'm not a history teacher. That's what I did. And so we could experiment with science with food. And that's always fun, right. And then we could also combine. So one of the things, for example, that we did, it was called, we had a hackathon. So I had kids, they were taking a coding class after school. And I was just the teacher of like, that had the room that allowed the people to come in and do the class. Then we talked about having a hackathon. And then the kids who were working with me after school to make food, they served the people who came to the hackathon. So these kids made this hackathon real. Right, the kids who were learning in the class for coding taught the first two lessons that they learned two other kids, and then the kids who worked with me and the food served, um, I think it was grilled cheese with a we homemade the salad dressing, and with salad and something else, but they didn't eliminate, we need to eliminate fresh. So everyone was like, incredibly happy that they got really good food, and they learned really awesome things. Well, things are always better with food. Like when you buy it, it was it was it was excellent. And and the parents because I actually had a guy who came from a different school than we were with a different school the whole way, like, not in the school system. And he was concerned that his son was it wasn't high enough, it wasn't advanced enough for his son to stay here. And then when I shared with him, like the background of what he was actually seeing, he then wrote me back and said, you know, how did you do that? Because we want to do it in our school system. So you can convert kids and parents, which changes lives, which is amazing. Well, that's, you know, if you get the parent that's half the battle to the the other part of that is you got to hook the kid to the parent might be all in like, I want my kid to be in STEM, but if you don't hook the kid it, you know, like the parents is, is that's one half of the battle, I'll just say. So let me so let me ask a question, if you don't mind. If so, I'm a kid. You post the flyer, or, you know, I find out about your program, like what happens so I come in I'm after school. I come see Mr. Mrs. DeHart. And what happens? Okay, I would say that there's, there's two parts of the program, there's the sustained mentorship, in which the student and I have to choose each other. There's that part. And so because we spend an enormous amount of time together, and so we we have to like each other, right, because this is not a forced relationship, it's something that we're both choosing. So there's that part of the relationship, and they are the core of the program. And then there's the stuff where kids can float in and float out. And they could just come and do what they want. And so literally, usually what would happen is my students, meaning this mentor, students would be setting up for the next session. So they did that part I did not I had a closet full of STEM stuff, they would go in the closet, pick something that inspired them, learn how to do it and teach somebody else. And that's pretty much what happened. Well, I must say, however, that however long, they kind of wanted to hang out, right, and then kind of go as far as they wanted, because it was on them as to what they would want to do. So there's there was no limitations, other than, you know, guess their imagination on what it is they could accomplish in the STEM program in the STEM as a stem impressionist guess they could just come in, open the closet door and get happy. Wow. Wow. So to me, and so. So in my audience knows this already. So I'm a I'm a teacher, you're a teacher. And and I think one of the things about teaching that, you know, I think a lot of people are struggling with right now, as we're talking about virtual learning and virtual teaching is, is that when you're in your classroom, you that's an environment that you can control. You know, so you whatever happens in your classroom, and you know, you there's, you have control, right, you know, there's a there's a, I don't even know what how to describe that feeling. But you're in it, this is your environment, this is your domain, this is your space, even though I mean, it's in a school building that doesn't belong to you, I got it, got it, got it for all of the people out there who's going to be like, she doesn't know what she's talking about. You haven't said you haven't stood in front of a classroom of kids and had to control an environment with, you know, 20 to 35, maybe 40 students to help them learn a concept, or make it through to you know, whatever else, right? It's different. So when you say that you basically opened up your space, and gave them permission to a be who they were or who they are, and to do whatever they could do in your space. That is huge. It's huge on so, so so many levels, you know, what's really freeing for me? Because, yes, you do during the day, like, there's all these requirements that you have to meet, and the kids were both like having to meet requirements. But after school is like, no, this is where we define our environment. And I don't know lots of stuff. And I don't have a problem just being not I don't know, like we can, I don't know together. And so let's explore. That's what real exploration and curiosity is. So when the kids were doing FLL, FIRST LEGO League, I didn't even know how to cut off the robot. And they had the nerve to leave it on one day after school. So I had to Google it. Didn't know how to cut it off. So I think the point of that is that there are a lot of teachers who feel like they need to learn it first, and then teach the kids. I just don't have that. I think that the kids there they have a vested interest in the knowledge that they're learning. And then they can, I've watched them, I've watched them with such joy, then teach another kid. And then they just they like, they know misty, her doesn't know what she's doing. Like, you're not Don't Don't, don't go that she shouldn't know, she doesn't know. And then that's perfect. And they immediately go to each other and they talk and they explain and and they go on Google and they get really inventive about solving problems. And then if they can't figure it out, then I'm like, they'll come to me. And they'll say, well, we tried everything. And we couldn't say, Okay, it's time to go to the next level. And then I bring in guest speakers. And so we reach out to the community. And that's like the way it really works in the real world. You don't know everything and you can't solve everything in your community, but you can reach out to other people who know the answer. So we just had a real, a real going on, that was about real life, and the kids learn skills that they can carry with Him forever. Now, so I have, in my mind, I see this as sort of, like a maker space, but different. And I can't try, I'm trying to Oh, my goodness, my brain is going so fast right now. Um, thank you for that. Because I mean, I think of makerspaces, where a kid can sort of come in, they have an idea for a project, and then there's, you know, there are the things that are there in the space that will help them help them flesh out this project. But this is almost This is more than that, in the sense that you may not have all of the resources there. But the kid is expected to a figure it out. And then to somebody else. Yeah. So that's the part where I'm like, I don't know if that's, and it could be. So I don't want anybody who is the director works in or affiliated with any makerspace in this these here, United States or beyond, to text and or call and or email and or Instagram DM me, I don't want it. Okay. But I'm saying to you, I know a lot of makerspaces. And I understand the setup have been involved in activities there. And it's just a little different. This, to me is a little bit. This is innovative and creative in a way that honors the intelligent, smart creativity, innovative energy of kids. It's like, it is so important. The kids, the kids are amazing. And to honor and respect their creativity. They were not in the same generation. They know things that I don't know, they just do. And so how do I learn that I listened to them? How do they learn my wisdom, they listened to me. And so we walk this journey together, knowing that we both are bringing value to the table. And the kids also they write curriculum, and then they teach that curriculum on to somebody else. They've done it a lot. So they know both sides of the fence. They know what it means to be a teacher, and how to be effective, they have to deal with the same challenges any teacher would have. And that's perfect. It helps to give them management experience. It helps them to learn about how to write and present in a way that communicates to other people and is successful. And so they're doing all of this and they can use it again forever, which is the thing that motivates me to continue. And they have frustrations, they work together as a team, we sit down, and we talk about how it can be better next time. And then my job is to provide them opportunities so that they can continue to learn. Love it. I mean, I love it. I am here for it. So So stim impressionist, is the organization How long have you been doing this? Well, we've been seven years, because I started with the kids that are in my, in the in the group that are still with me from the beginning, started in some of them started in sixth grade. So and they're now in 12th grade, and one of them is actually a junior in college. So it's a wide range. And we're all learning. We all continue to learn. It's an amazing experience. So where are they? What are you doing, how's it changed from seven years ago to now? Oh, when in middle school, it's more hands on, and learning the basic skills of presentation, how to write a, you know, a lesson up so that you can go ahead and deliver it. And then getting used to doing that in different ways with kids with teachers, because we've done the gamut with parents on the fly presentations. So you're getting your skill base down. Once you're going into high school, you're starting to develop define what that process is going to be where you want to compete, where you want to engage, and also starting to engage with colleges. So some of those students have gone to MIT scratch conference and presented. They presented it really, really awesome things. We've had it EA presentations, so they're now in the adult realm of conference presenting so that they can really understand how to build a resume, which most of them have a two page resume of all the things that we have done. So they've learned a great deal and then they can apply it to whatever they see fit as they are now walking into being freshmen in college. Oh, wow. That's That's a lot. So do you have? Who are your partners? Who do you have, I mean, and then I really want to, I want to take a little bit of time to talk about some of your parents, but but right now, let's talk about some of your partners. Um, my partners are really, colleges, we have established a relationship with George Mason University, we've done a lot of work with them with their focus group, there was 100 minority kids. So not only did some of the kids from the school that I was teaching at, get to go to their summer camp, but then my kids also taught at their summer camp. So there was like, a lot of good stuff going on. Um, and there was some guest speakers, and then I just reach out to people. So there's so many partners that are just people who hear our story and say, Okay, and then they come and talk to the kids. Like, it's a very eclectic experience in that way. So there's not like formal partners, I don't, I've partnered short term with like, you know, ro robotics, on Northrop Grumman, we earned a$5,000 scholarship, I mean, a grant. And so we then use that money to run the Vex tournament, I partnered with a teacher, Miss Matthews, and we got together and we were gonna scheme that the the kids would, the older kids would run the backs tournament, and the younger kids would be participating. And so we want it to be kind of like a hands off kind of thing. And so we started generating that process. So it just depends, you, I think, you just reach out to whomever will help you, right, as you're going through your process, because it changes because we are still talking about kids. And things are like unique, never know exactly what's gonna happen. So I don't plan that I just, I just roll with the punches, you know, that seems to help a lot. And one thing I wanted to also mention is that we also connected with our feeder schools. So the kids like during the Hour of Code, we'd go to a feeder school, during the Hour of Code and teach those kids about STEM so that when they came to the middle school, they would be much more inclined, hopefully, to go to the after school programs that were at the school. Man, I think it's great. I think what you are doing with this group of kids over the past seven years is impressive. And you've given them opportunities that I'm not sure they would have had in quite the same way, it's different than someone pulling together a stem activity for a couple of hours on a Saturday or after school. This is an immersion in something that the kid himself or herself is interested in. And you provide opportunities for them to, to do the deep dive. Yeah, that's, that's, that's an excellent summary. That's, that's what I do. Um, and like, I did do it, like just after school clubs, right, which we did, we had coding club, right. But then the kids as I listened to them, they taught me what I needed to do. And so then I just started doing what they needed. And we just kept growing. Right? So I want it to, I think we need to talk about the parents, because I think it's that they have to believe that they play at least a little bit of a role in, in, in your in the success of the club. And so I really want to Yeah, so just tell me about your parents. So I think the most important part of the parent connection because I feel like I pretty much I work for the kids, that my job is to listen to them and then support them in the process. And my job with a parent is to answer any questions that they have explained what the heck crazy thing that we're doing. And the parents and I have come to a place where they trust me trust. So whatever, what and every parent is different, whatever that means for the parents, then that's what we do. So I've gone to people's houses, and we've talked and they've seen us work together. You know, I have gone on the weekend to talk to a parent because they were concerned. And I alleviated their concerns, you know, because that's what they needed. And then after that, we do a lot of really crazy stuff all the time. And so I just stopped by the house, pick up the kids and take them, they know who I am, right. So I'm kind of Like part of the family, and that we don't have to do this whole permission thing. We just understood that, that that's what's happening. That's what the core kids, the one that are under sustained mentorship. Yeah, that's already just an understood thing. And then the other kids who are walking in they, we just do it as whatever is necessary, or like maybe they needed school permission, you know, at the time that I was doing that, then, you know, we need to do all the documentation necessary. But that's kind of how it flowed, whatever the parent needed. That's what we gave them so that they would understand what we're doing. And we definitely talked about the long term, right? One thing you have to mean, these days where we're, unfortunately, we're in a time and space where good programming can be derailed by, you know, people. Yeah, parents have to be people with people with sinister motives, I'll just say, or motives, hidden motives, motives that we don't know. And, you know, things happen. So I think it's, it's good as parents that you have to be cautious. I'm a parent of two, so I know it. But the fact that yeah, it was like overtime, you you you trust. And if you've not given them and a reason not to trust in, okay, then that's and you've seen, by this point, they have seen the products, you know, the the outcomes, meaning the work, and the dedication and the drive that these students have put in by now they've seen you, you know, do this thing. And I really like what you said earlier about the way you said you said the kids have taught me. Yeah, and I cannot tell you how much I really love that. Because I think that that's the that's one of the pieces that are missing in teaching these days, is that, and this is again, this is the world according to Dr. Sasha. So it Okay, it is what it is. But I feel like there are some times where it's really hard for teachers to take off the teacher hat, and become a learner, or be able to be a facilitator of the learning process, which requires you to sort of present information and materials and then step out of the way, and let it be what it's going to be. But you've even taken that, in my estimation a little bit further and said, Hey, I don't know that. So I'm going to look to you to teach me how this works, what this is how I can be a best service to you if that's what it is. And I I love that. I think I want to I want to share, um, as you're, as you're saying all those things, and yes, I think that's a, again, an accurate assessment. And it's, it's kind of nice to hear somebody else outside of me because I do this work so much that you like, forget what you're doing. You're doing it right. And so to hear somebody else to talk about what I'm doing is is a nice reflection for me. And so, you know, when when we went to the Vex state, when we went to state at Vex, I took 17 kids, that's a huge team. Usually people take like four to five, I took everybody who would be willing to be on the team. And so and their parents came to so there was a lot of things happening. There's a lot of pieces. And so there was a lot of some parents didn't know me at all right? Some parents knew me quite a bit. But everybody kind of learned through the process. And we kind of just negotiate that. And so there would be parents who would walk up to me, and they were like, Wow, it was an engineer. And he was like, This is amazing. These kids are like this is really engineering. And so it's nice when the parents have the time and the availability to be able to experience some of the things that their kids are going through. But it's also important to understand that a lot of Title One parents are in a place where they have other children that they have to take care of after school. And they also may have jobs that don't allow them the ability to come with their kids, and that they should not be penalized because they want everything that any parent would want for their child. And I think that that's something that I failed to say before that I think it's critically important that every parent it's different in different people's households. And that not passing judgment around what it looks like is incredibly important. Yeah, I agree with that. I agree. I mean, we hear it all the time about the missing parent, the ones who don't show up at parent teacher conferences. And sometimes I think we forget, and this is not all of us, but just a few. We forget that, you know, everybody's circumstances aren't, they aren't ideal. They're working two jobs, or they have other kids that they need to take care of. So when you have a conference at three o'clock, but my other child doesn't get out of school until 315, guess who's not going to be at your conference, you know, or I don't get off shift until 330 or four o'clock, and I can't eat. I don't. If I don't work, we don't eat, you know. So yes, very real concerns. The real concern, it's just so important. It's so important if you were dealing with social economic differences within the system as a teacher, and I like the word facilitator much better, because I think I've, I've totally kind of transformed into that. But like, when you're when you're guiding the children that we're, we're in it together, even if I don't see you that much, meaning the parent, yeah, right. Whoever The Guardian is, because it's not always apparent, sometimes it's a grandparent. Yeah. And so it can look a lot of different ways. And so just the flexibility of the person running the program is is important. And again, yes, I've learned that as well as transportation. So I've been willing to take the risk of driving the kids. Yeah, because otherwise they couldn't go like and like you are coming. I'm going to take you like to you cannot miss this. Because the transportation, that's not a justifiable reason for you to miss this. And so I I learned that's one of the big learnings is that I'm like a mini taxi cab person. Now we just pick people up, I know where everybody lives. And so I know how to pick them up in order, and then we start our stuff, and then I deliver them back home. We're all good. So okay, there's. So I just will thank you first, I really need to say thank you, I, I feel like this program has made such a huge difference in the life of these kids. And I don't know, if you're going to really know the impact that you've had, until many years later, when you're at this point, you'll be seeing your kids kids. You know, it's so so I just want to take this time to say thank you for putting yourself out here like this for, for being able to let us let it go to this is a there's a there's a freedom to this. And a a genuine pneus that just feels it feels good. And it's brave. And yeah, I appreciate you so much. Thank you. Appreciate that. So okay, so now I do want to know, so if there's somebody out there who a wants to volunteer their time, their time, their effort, their energy, their funds, where can they find you? Oh, we do have a website for that. I'm on LinkedIn. So if you look up my name, I'm Angela de Hart, you'll find me I'm there. Um, you'll find some of the kids too, if you want to, um, look for them. So just write me and I will certainly write you back and tell you kind of where they are. So you can see what this looks like. And you can talk to them. They talk all but so what's the website? is Tim impressionist.org stem impressionist that or is that with an S on the end? of impressionist? Sorry? Yes, stem impressionists with an S. Okay. That org. All right, just type in some impressionists into the website, you will get you'll you'll see us we're pretty active. And it will come right up. Awesome. And we'll also put this in the show notes. So you guys will be able to connect directly with STEM expressionist. So thank you, Miss D. Hart for just coming on and talking about this great organization and what they do and what you have brought to fruition. It's it's not a small thing. And again, thank you. Thank you very much for having me. I really appreciate it. All right. So this is a great episode. Another great episode of stemming is the lentils with Dr. Tasha. I am Dr. Tasha you guys Have some news to share. In the coming weeks you will see online a lot of different places that I am now an author of a children's book called ABC engineering. Please go and get it. It is a really quick read if you are grown adult but it's for kids in early childhood, so from birth to three, if you're teaching them their ABCs this book is for you. It's a great Christmas gift. It'll be on Amazon for 899 I can't wait. So go and grab it. And thank you in advance and until I see you again Am I