2017 Grants

 

THE YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP NETWORK (NEW YORK CITY)

Social Computer Game Design Platform

We have supported The Young Women’s Leadership Network with a variety of grants for the past eight years, and we're happy to continue our support again this year. TYWLN is an inspiring organization that is providing quality education to hundreds of young women at several schools across New York City. (You can read more about them at http://www.ywln.org/.) This year we will continue our support for “Globaloria” at three of TYWLN’s schools. Globaloria is an online learning platform that engages students in science, math, and computing through game design. The courses are built around a collaborative, iterative design process called the "6 Ps." In the process of designing their own educational game, students:

  • Play to discover what makes a great educational game
  • Plan their ideas in writing to organize them
  • Prototype their games to test their concepts on potential users
  • Program their games in JavaScript or ActionScript
  • Publish and present their designs, code, and games online
  • Participate in a social learning network to give and receive coding help and design feedback

As you can see, the program has a social component: students design and create computer games, then share them with other students on the Globaloria system. Students then play and critique the games -- including games designed by students at other schools. It's an ingenious way to develop STEM knowledge and computing literacy. (You can learn more here: http://www.globaloria.org/.)

At TYWLN, Globaloria is integrated into the Spanish language and history/social studies classes. Last year, the JAKF grant enabled 201 students to design and build their own games. All told, they logged more than 12,000 hours of computer science education. TYWLN reported that JAKF's support "helps young women from under-resourced communities experience fun and interactive ways of learning STEM. More importantly, Globaloria encourages positive educational growth for predominantly low-income young women whose families would otherwise not have access to interactive STEM programming." Finally, our grant helps build capacity at these schools. As TYWLN reported, "your grant helps promote the education of young women in science and math by developing the capacity of some of students’ closest influencers--their teachers! Globaloria provides a full-year of professional development and mentorship to TYWLS educators, enabling them to lead dynamic digital classrooms."

This year our grant will support Globaloria programs at three TYWLN schools, in the Bronx, Queens, and Astoria. The grant is for $7,350 (total).

THE GIRLS’ MIDDLE SCHOOL (PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA)

Science Camp Scholarships

The Jennifer Kay Foundation has supported programs at The Girls’ Middle School since 2010. (You can learn more about GMS here: http://www.girlsms.org/.) This year, we’re happy to support an exciting new initiative at GMS.

Ever since its opening in 1998, GMS has provided scholarships to motivated, low-income girls. These scholarships include not only tuition: they also include a laptop, lunches, uniforms, one-on-one tutoring, and the cost of all trips and material expenses over three years. They do not, however, include participation in a summer science camp. These camps can be essential for reducing summer learning loss and closing achievement gaps. Research has shown that "summer slide" – a term used to describe learning loss during the summer vacation months – is particularly problematic among low-income children, and can be cumulative over time. This same research concluded that efforts to close the achievement gap during the school year alone may be unsuccessful. It therefore can be very helpful for a young woman to participate in one of these camps.

GMS has identified several science camps in northern California as ones that facilitate active learning through the use of observation, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in a cooperative setting. Each of the camps is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with equity efforts to include underserved students and students at all income levels. This year's JAKF grant will enable ten girls who are on scholarship at GMS and who are entering seventh or eighth grade to attend a one-week session at one of these camps. The grant is $5000 total for the ten young women.