Neighbor News
YMCA of the East Bay Debuts CIRCLe Lab in East Oakland
Brings STEM Learning Opportunities & Career Awareness to Students
Yesterday, The YMCA of the East Bay celebrated the launch of their CIRCLe Lab, bringing “real-life STEM” to the East Oakland Community (located at 5908 Foothill Boulevard @ Seminary). Honorable guests included Dr. Mae Jemison (the first African-American woman to travel in space), Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Bayer & many other community partners that have helped bring this CIRCLe Lab to life.
What is a CIRCLe Lab?
CIRCLe Labs are an innovative effort to bring STEM education into low-income neighborhoods outside of the school day. The CIRCLe Labs pilot project is an initiative of the Institute for STEM Education, founded in 2011 at California State University, East Bay, to serve as a “backbone institution” that leverages the Bay Area’s existing strengths in STEM education, reduces costs, and builds new collaborations.
Find out what's happening in Alamedafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
CIRCLe Labs are the fruition of years of research about roadblocks minorities and women face in pursuing STEM education. They are also the result of important leadership from East Bay industry and policy leaders. Wareham Development provided the crucial first funding to develop the CIRCLe Lab concept, and introduced the YMCA of the East Bay to the CIRCLe Lab team. Wareham has been an active part of a network that has supported the Institute since its founding in 2011 as a way to build a STEM-competent population in the East Bay and throughout California.
Another key partner has been the East Bay Economic Development Alliance, which has brought the resources of local governments and businesses into STEM education outreach. East Bay EDA members are some of the key suppliers of the STEM volunteers who will fuel CIRCLe Lab presentations.
Find out what's happening in Alamedafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Other key partners include the David E. Glover Education and Technology Center; additional funders including Bayer, the Tesoro Foundation; the Hellman Foundation; and more.
These partnerships take CIRCLe Lab programs onto an exciting new level, bringing in the Y’s existing community-building philosophy to create a sustained climate of STEM awareness that includes the Y’s youth development initiatives.
*In these photos: Dr. Mae Jemison addresses East Oakland students, Don Lau (Interim President & CEO of the YMCA of the East Bay) thanks the community partners and donors that made the CIRCLe Lab possible & Volunteer Lab Techs make 'Alka-Seltzer Rockets' with students.
