Vision - Highlight the rich pool of talent in underserved communities, and demonstrate how the tech sector can tap that potential to accomplish many goals, including countering the trend of America losing ground in preparing students for the digital economy.

Mission - To show how a community-based STEM center promotes equality in 21st century education, and equips students with fundamentals that enable them to become productive in the knowledge economy.

Our action-oriented goals are to:

• Address unequal educational opportunities necessary for gainful employment in the knowledge economy;
• Ensure that our students are guaranteed equal access to programs that offer training in critical thinking necessary for STEM literacy;
• Collaborate with businesses to develop opportunities for CTECH to serve as a feeder of interns, and to give students access to aspirational role models in tech related fields;
• Use approaches that motivate students and reorient their views of STEM and the tech sector;
• Employ a hands-on, learn-while-doing approach;
• Demonstrate how marrying community-based STEM facilities with neighborhood revitalization ensures that young minds have access to the building blocks of 21st century education;
• Collaborate regionally, nationally and internationally in the STEM sector.

The Need

Unequal opportunity is an urgent challenge facing America. It widens disparities, limits opportunities and worsens the disconnect of marginalized communities from the benefits of economic growth. More troubling is the prediction this problem will become more acute.

The knowledge-based economy is closely linked to science and technology, in which workers must develop skills and critical thinking that enable them to gather facts, evaluate evidence and solve problems. Studies show proficiencies in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) help develop these skills, and are building blocks for preparing for the 21st century workforce.

Afterschool programs have proven effective in offering hands-on learning experiences that not only get children excited, but also help them build real-life skills and proficiencies. CTECH was established to accomplish this goal, and fill a critical need of the Choice Neighborhood Initiative.

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The Afterschool Program

Our afterschool program is open-enrollment, with students accepted on rolling admission until capacity is reached. Class sizes are determined by overall staffing, and may be supplemented by partnerships and volunteers. The afterschool program is one phase of CTECH's development. It focuses on ages 6 - 17, with students grouped by age. Activities are designed to expand learning opportunities and provide tutorial and academic support services. Regular hours of operation are from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., M-F. Summer programs (camps) will run for 2- 4 weeks depending on subject areas, topics and levels of students.

Staff and youth development workers engage students through activities coordinated with participating schools, but also ensure students have an opportunity to choose other areas of interest. Work sessions vary, and incorporate computers, the arts, sports and many others. Because classes are small, teachers have more time to spend with individual students to enrich their learning experiences. Our every activity is designed to make clear to each child that STEM is for all children, from all backgrounds and all types, without regard to station in life, race or economic status.

A Typical Afterschool Day

Our program coordinates with schools and teachers to encourage students to apply to the program and maintain on-going communications with partner schools. We also rely on business and community volunteers and mentors to provide guidance, small-group instruction and role modeling for our students, and try to ensure that lessons and discussions connect with community issues.

Students arrive and head to classrooms by age group. As coordinated with teachers and schools, students will work on homework and pull out an assignment for the day, for example reading or math. They do monitored work for 40 minutes or so, and take a break for a healthy snack. Afterwards they will choose an elective which may be infused with or have embedded STEM basics. For example, we may use a sport (basketball for instance) or games to introduce STEM concepts or practice.

Volunteers arrive along with youth counselors to provide support with both work-study and monitoring activities.

The lesson for the session ends and students, mentors and volunteers convene to close out the day and learning sessions. On a rotating basis, students will have `an opportunity to take the lead and ask for shout-outs for the day, which encourages program participants to praise each other or for that matter offer gripes. The idea and objective is to stay positive and keep them charging ahead on their learning journey - and to enjoy the learning experience.

Technology is changing what we do at work, and how we do it. As the job market continues to change, workers must be equipped with new skillsets for new tasks and occupations. While it is true that STEM related jobs power the economy, it is equally true that many jobs in tech related sectors do not require software engineering degrees or software design capabilities. Even so, they are necessary to ensure functionality as well as content and service delivery. As part of our holistic approach, and in recognition of these facts, CTECH is developing public-private partnerships to provide adult training/retraining programs focused initially on the health and clean energy sectors. This phase is moving quickly, so please check back with us soon for the latest developments on this exciting program.

This program is under development. It envisions that CTECH, in collaboration with participating partners, will offer teachers and administrators culturally relevant techniques and resources to connect curricula with community focused, real-world STEM applications. Please stay connected and check back with us as we continue development of this program.

Please consider making a donation to CTECH. We want you to be a part of our mission to equip our students with STEM skills and proficiencies that will help them compete in the knowledge economy. Your contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent permitted by law, and will be used to further develop programs for our students. Donations can be made through debit or credit card, through PayPal or by check or money order. If your donation is by check or money order, it is payable as follows:

CTECH or Community Learning & Achievement Ctr.
333 Texas Avenue - Suite 1300
Shreveport, LA 71101