Mission, Goals, & Curriculum

Mission Statement

RaynWater STEAM is a nature- and community-focused enrichment program for early childhood, elementary, and middle school children that aims to enhance their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics experiences while integrating the arts (STEAM). We utilize the outdoors for learning whenever possible and engage children in how STEAM is used in our everyday lives. We strive to be a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment.

We work to attain our mission by:

providing authentic, real-world, and child-driven STEAM exploration, play, and problem solving.
maintaining a safe physical, social, and emotional environment for children with caring adults who value all students’ perspectives and experiences.
building positive relationships with our program families and the local community.
promoting cooperation, collaboration, and respect among children and between children and adults, including specialists, professionals, teachers, and people of diverse backgrounds.
engaging children in creative and innovative problem solving that promotes their own and others’ curiosity and wondering about the world around them.
continually learning, evaluating, and reflecting on our teaching and curriculum, its impact on the children in our care, and its correlation to our mission and goals.

Curriculum

Exploring The World Around Us

This theme invites children to engage in the following concepts:

exploring our neighborhoods
understanding our place and experiences in nature
local landscapes, geography, geology, and ecology
Indigenous connections to the land and nature
Earth's water, weather, climate, and energy options
birdwatching, gardening, and composting
sustainable living practices

Solar System & Beyond

This theme invites children to engage in the following concepts:

understanding Earth's rotation and revolution patterns
lunar and solar eclipses
planets of the solar system
NASA's explorations to the Moon, Mars, and beyond
scale of the universe
astronomical discoveries within and beyond the Milky Way
cultural and historical stories of earth and space

Inventors & Engineers

This theme invites children to engage in the following concepts:

design thinking process
engineering design, including planning, modeling, and creating
creativity and innovation
empathy toward what users of their designs may need
habits of mind that inventors and engineers exhibit
showcasing designs for an audience
using objects in a makerspace to build independence and skills

Although we have a planned curriculum, we want the children in our care to take charge of their learning and experiences. Therefore, we will sometimes pursue the children's interests in a STEAM topic. Our hope is to guide your child to pursue ideas that they are passionate about.

We may also, at times, simply have fun and "play" with STEAM both indoors and outdoors!

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