Introduction to the Program
A Logan Square school’s after-school science program was abruptly cut last month after losing its grant, blindsiding families and program leaders who worked for years to make it a reality. The Somos Ingenieros/We are Engineers STEM program at McAuliffe Elementary School, 1841 N. Springfield Ave., was a seven-week immersive program for Latino families that launched last year. It was funded by a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation in partnership with Loyola University and the Chicago Children’s Museum.
The Impact of the Grant Cut
On April 25, program leaders were informed that President Donald Trump’s administration cut the grant with no notice — one day before the parent-student group had a field trip to the Children’s Museum as part of the curriculum, parents and program leaders said. The program was canceled alongside other science and research projects previously supported by the National Science Foundation because they were not in alignment with current foundation priorities, per a statement from the government-run organization.
Program Details
The engineering program, supported by community group Palenque LSNA, was only in its second cohort of students when the funding was cut. Each cohort had 12-15 families with students 5-8 years old, and the program had a goal of hosting at least three cohorts per year through 2027, when the grant was originally set to expire, said Silvia Gonzalez, director of Community Learning Centers at Palenque. Gonzalez helped write the grant application and establish the school partnership for the program.
Students at McAuliffe Elementary made hands-on projects like puppets, piñatas and structures that explore the potential of a material (right) during the “Somos Ingenieros | We are Engineers” after-school day program. Credit: Provided
Parent and Student Reactions
Families in the program and its staff have been devastated by the cut, which has forced the program to wrap up at the end of this month. While the organizers have gathered funding to finish the current cohort, its organizers said the program cannot continue without the grant. “It’s really sad because its been something that helped the kids learn about engineering and the word ‘engineer,’” said parent Imelda Martinez, whose 8-year-old son is in the program. Sirenna Alvarez, whose 7-year-old daughter is also in the program, said it’s opened her child’s understanding of engineering and inspired her to create projects.
Program Goals and Achievements
Aimed at increasing engineering opportunities and other STEM skills for Latino families and young children, participants in the collaborative research program made hands-on projects such as piñatas, Tetris blocks, mini wooden houses, puppets and more from scratch to learn function and form mechanisms. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. When the program debuted last year, Gonzalez and other organizers were unsure if they’d fill all the spots, but that anxiety was quickly lifted, she said. So many families wanted to partake that a wait list was created, she said.
Partnerships and Funding
Museum officials, Loyola University researchers and Palenque LSNA leaders began crafting the program in 2022. It was built as part of a longstanding research partnership between the Children’s Museum and Loyola that examines how Latino families interact with science activities in their everyday lives. Somos Ingenieros/We are Engineers was the third National Science Foundation grant received for the partnership, said Kim Koin, director of art and tinkering studios at the Children’s Museum and one of the program leads.
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