Seeds to STEM: Cultivating early Nutrition, Literacy, Numeracy, and STEM knowledge and skills in Teachers, 3-5 year olds, and Families through a Bilingual Asset-based curriculum in Two Major Cities

STEM种子（S2 S）提出了一个双语计划，教育3- 5岁的城市儿童， 尽早向他们的家人和幼儿园老师宣传儿童营养的重要性 STEM和扫盲，以及幼儿园准备，以满足国家多样化的需求 STEM教育管道和降低不成比例的贫困，饥饿，健康不良， 居住在密集城市的家庭教育水平低。这个SEPA 该项目具有创新性，重点关注获得粮食的机会， 学习中心，包括以家庭为基础的儿童保育。 这些低成本的选择，往往是由家庭谁工作，但不能负担或没有选择 获得高质量的幼儿学习和护理资源，需要更好地 纳入学前教育改善举措。 我们假设，一个研究和资产为基础的方法，同时教育 学龄前儿童、他们的老师和家庭将促进早期STEM和扫盲 学习，鼓励健康的饮食习惯，并提高幼儿园准备低 居住在两个主要城市--宾夕法尼亚州费城和加利福尼亚州洛杉矶的收入家庭。三 产品交付将在SEPA授权期结束前通过 项目网站和PI连接到专业网络。除了项目 参加者，九个博物馆已附加支持信到这个应用程序。 1关于幼儿营养和学校的双语探究课程 准备，通过整合STEM，识字和算术学习， 在教室、城市花园里种植食物的实验活动， 家庭住宅; 2为认证不足的学前班提供专业发展和课堂辅导 教育工作者，作为一种创新，包括以家庭为基础的儿童保育提供者; 3个项目，使家庭能够一起学习，了解幼儿园 做好准备，并更多地与社区的营养资源联系起来。

Seeds to STEM (S2S) proposes a bilingual program that educates urban children ages 3- 5, their families, and preschool teachers about the importance of childhood nutrition, early STEM and literacy, and kindergarten readiness in order to address national needs to diversify the STEM education pipeline and reduce disproportionate rates of poverty, hunger, ill health, and low educational achievement among families living in dense cityscapes. This SEPA project has an innovative focus on food access and families enrolled in under-accredited early learning centers, including home-based childcare. These low-cost options, often chosen by families who work but cannot afford or do not have access to high quality early childhood learning and care resources, need to be better incorporated into preschool education improvement initiatives. We hypothesize that a research- and asset-based approach to simultaneously educating preschool children, their teachers, and families will promote early STEM and literacy learning, encourage healthy eating habits, and increase kindergarten readiness among low income families living in two major cities -- Philadelphia, PA, and Los Angeles, CA. Three product deliverables will be nationally distributed by the end of a SEPA grant period via a project website and PI connections to professional networks. In addition to project participants, nine museums have appended Support Letters to this application. 1 A bilingual inquiry-based curriculum about early childhood nutrition and school readiness that integrates STEM, literacy, and numeracy learning through experimental activities growing food inside classrooms, urban gardens, and family homes; 2 Professional development and in-class coaching for under-accredited pre-K educators including, as an innovation, home-based childcareproviders; 3 Programs that empower families to learn together, understand kindergarten readiness, and be more connected to nutrition resources in their communities.