The James R. Jordan Foundation is excited to share updates from our S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) program.
By exposing communities of African Americans, Latinos and persons of lower socioeconomic backgrounds to S.T.E.A.M. resources and experiences, we are able to build their educational capacity and professional possibilities. Program highlights include a recent Coded Beats Club session in partnership with 2112 Chicago, STEAM Day at Dett Elementary, and our April STEAM Pop-Up sessions.
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STEAM Student Spotlight: Terrell Washington
Terrell Washington is a 6th grade student at William H. Brown STEM Magnet School. Our Brown School Liason, Ms. Audrey Boyd, shared some kind words about Terrell's participation in the STEAM program.
"During our Coded Beats sessions, he is always present, motivated to learn and problem solves. Terrell is very inquisitive and asks lots of questions until he has a full understanding of the task at hand." - Ms. Boyd.
Coded Beats Club is a STEAM program in partnership with Northwestern University, and teaches students how to use Tunepad. TunePad is a learning platform that combines music creation with python computer programming. Kids express themselves creatively by remixing popular music or coding their own beats from scratch. At first, Terrell was more reluctant to share his project or share his screen to get support from the facilitators. But as he continued to ask more questions and persevere, Terrell began to truly understand the “what and why” of coding.
Terrell Washington
Nearing the end of the program, Terrell is now open to suggestions and trouble-shoots problems as a team. "He continues to work hard, looks for a deeper understanding, and provides unwavering support to his fellow classmates," claimed Ms. Boyd, "It has been a great pleasure working with Terrell and I look forward to his continued success in the area of coding."
Picture Above: Terrell shares his TunePad beat during a Coded Beats Club session
Professional Musicians Join the Coded Beats Club
On Wednesday, May 19th, Coded Beats Club students, coaches, teachers, and Principal Lyons gathered virtually to meet CCE Director, Saudia Davis, and music producer Johnny "Bravo" Rayborn. During this time, students were given advice on their final projects, attended a virtual tour of the studio space, and had a Q&A session with Johnny Bravo. We'd like to thank Saudia, Johnny, and 2112 Chicago for joining us at the Coded Beats Club. Check out some screenshots from event below:
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Students are excited to attend the Coded Beats Club showcase in June, where they will be able to present their final projects for Coded Beats Club, have a more in depth tour of the studio space, and get the opportunity to meet more professional music producers.
STEAM Storytelling with Aleko
For the month of April, the STEAM Pop-Up Facilitator was Aleko, JRJF Program Intern. During his “Art of Storytelling” workshop, students learned the components of a good story and how to implement storytelling in their own life in presentations, conversations, and job interviews. Check out some screenshots of the session below:
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After the presentation, students had the opportunity to practice what they had learned through an activity where they took turns stating two truths and a lie in story form. "Students enjoyed practicing storytelling, sharing their stories with their classmates, and learning more about each other." said Casey Jewett, JRJF Program Coordinator.
A total of 99 8th grade students at our four partner schools participated in the “Art of Storytelling” sessions.
A total of 99 8th grade students at our four partner schools participated in the “Art of Storytelling” sessions.
Machine Learning with Northwestern
On Tuesday, April 20th, STEAM Day was held virtually with 6th and 7th grade classes at Dett. Two facilitators from Northwestern – JRJF Advisory Board Member Dr. Michael Horn and Graduate Student Izaiah Wallace, presented on Machine Learning. Students learned about artificial intelligence and how computers learn and identify patterns. A total of 56 students attended. See some pictures of the event below!
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Learn More About our ImpactClick to read more highlights about our S.T.E.A.M., A-Team, Visions for Families, and Read with Me! programs in our FY2020 Annual Report now! https://bit.ly/JRJF-2020 |  |