STEAM Academy

STEAM ACADEMY 2022

T.D. Jakes Foundation is hosting the third annual STEAM Academy Hackathon June 6 through 17, 2022. The Hackathon, presented by the Dallas Mavericks and powered by Goldman Sachs, is a free two-week immersive experience in technology and innovation for 500 students ages 14 to 18.

During the two weeks, students will work in groups of five, guided by a Goldman Sachs engineer as their group counselor.  They will learn the engineering process, including how to listen and learn, ideate, how to prototype an idea, and how to communicate with impact.  Their mission will be to use the powers of technology and an engineering mindset to hack their way to an innovative solution to one of the world’s toughest challenges.

At the end of the program on June 17, the top five teams will deliver their final presentations, with special prizes awarded to the winners. This exciting experience will give all participating students new knowledge and new abilities to use the power of technology and innovation in their lives.

2022 Students
Teen girls enjoy 3d computer lab project at school
DayDateLocationDurationContent
MondayJune 6, 2022Potter’s House9am-12pmProgram Kick off
TuesdayJune 7, 2022Virtual9am-12pmLearning Lesson:  Introductions to the Engineering Mindset with Mentor Circles, and Lab Work
WednesdayJune 8, 2022Potter’s House9am-12pmLearning Lesson:  Technical Skills:  Tech Risk with Lab Work
ThursdayJune 9, 2022Virtual9am-12pm10,000 Steps Session, Mentor Circles, Lab Work
FridayJune 10, 2022Virtual9am-12pmLearning Lessons:  Prototyping and Implementation & Technical Skills:  Python, Lab Work
MondayJune 13, 2022Virtual9am-12pmLearning Lesson:  Technical Skills: Cloud, Lab Work
TuesdayJune 14, 2022Virtual9am-12pm Learning Lesson:  Communicating with Impact, Mentor Circles, Lab Work
WednesdayJune 15, 2022Potter’s House9am-12pmTeam Presentations and Team Representative Selection
ThursdayJune 16, 2022Virtual9am-12pm10,000 Steps Session, Learning Session:  Preparing to be an Engineer Action Plan
FridayJune 17, 2022Potter’s House9am-12pmClosing Ceremonies, Final Presentations and Celebratory Lunch

STEAM ACADEMY 2021

In fall of 2021, the Foundation announced an exciting partnership with Frito-Lay, Dallas Summer Musicals, the Moody Foundation, the Meadows Foundation, Dallas Independent School District (DISD) and iDTech to provide a Hamilton-themed STEAM program to DISD students.

The collective impact of this public-private partnership was immense. Students in the program took four Photoshop-centric classes and four Premiere Pro-centric classes, which enabled them to design an original Hamilton poster and cut together a 30-second video trailer for the show. The iD Tech staff provided detailed lessons on the Adobe software programs at the beginning of each session, and Dallas Summer Musicals teaching artists provided a connection to theater and to Hamilton, with a focus on cultural awareness and racial equity.

Students were exposed to STEAM curriculum as they explored themes such as marketing design, typography, color theory and layout during the Photoshop classes while, in the Premier Pro sessions, students learned about the art and science of filmmaking, covering topics such as editing, framing, storyboarding, audio and music copyright, post-production, color grading and more. In total, 3,000 students, 36 teaching artists and 18 DISD teachers across 60 classrooms participated in the program. Prior to the program, 92% of students had never used Adobe Premiere, and 76% had no familiarity with Adobe Photoshop.

In December, the STEAM program culminated with an exclusive Hamilton performance at the historic Music Hall at Fair Park. Chairman T.D. Jakes offered remarks prior to the show. The event served as a reminder of this program’s collective impact, as private companies, nonprofits and the school district came together with students and their families to celebrate the significance of the occasion.

STEAM ACADEMY 2020

In June 2020, the T.D. Jakes Foundation launched STEAM Academy 2020—a first-of-its-kind, virtual five-week summer program open to students, ages five to 16.

STEAM Academy 2020 offered three to four hours of weekly online STEAM activities, including coding courses, virtual field trips to museums and engineering companies, musical performances from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and exposure to people and jobs that students may not have even known existed.

We were proud to welcome more than 5,000 registrants from 23 countries across the world to participate free of charge!

To celebrate our inaugural year, we produced a closing video with a song, Get Up Get Up There, written by Thadworld and featuring members of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the DSO Young Strings Program with highlights from this amazing virtual learning experience.

We introduced young students to the wonders of science, technology, engineering, arts and math—more than 85% of STEAM Academy participants experienced STEAM activities and learning for the very first time. With the support of partners like the Dallas Mavericks and AT&T, we were able to bridge the digital divide, providing Chromebooks and mobile hot spots free of charge, to ensure that no Dallas families had to be turned away due to lack of access to technology or connectivity.

FROM OUR PARTICIPANTS

“Everything has been wonderful. I feel like [my child] is receiving expanded learning in an area that she has shown interest in.” Latrevia

“We as a family are enjoying the STEAM program. The virtual field trips and iStories are awesome. Thank you to the Foundation for this opportunity.” Jamila

“I would like to say thank you for the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing program…Our daughter is loving the experience and is engaged everyday even on vacation. She has been excited to share her work with family.” RaShelia

“Our children are loving STEAM!!! They are so overcome with amazement at what they are learning and it’s wonderful to hear them being brought even closer during this time; the conversations they have are hilarious. Thank you so much!” Jeanelle

If you want to get involved or find out when we will be offering the next STEAM Academy, please email us at steamacademy@tdjfoundation.org.

STEAM Academy has been made possible by the generous support of our partners…

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There are many ways to get involved. We welcome donations, volunteers and corporate partnerships. If you’re a company that would like to partner with us, please reach out to learn how we can work together!

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