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Cambridge is a unique city, housing some of the world’s most innovative companies and creative artists alongside our public schools and youth programs. This makes our community a prime location for investing in the new nationwide approach to learning known as EL STEAM: Expanded Learning Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.

The Cambridge EL STEAM Network’s purpose is to bring people, providers, and projects together; pool resources; and collaboratively increase access to, awareness of, and quality across Expanded Learning STEAM opportunities available to Cambridge’s young people.

EL STEAM Network guiding beliefs

1. Expanded Learning STEAM Opportunities offer unique opportunities for the exchange of ideas, models and explorations that exist between aesthetic and technical worlds. STEAM can produce high quality, engaging learning experiences for young people that broaden their horizons and help them to build their efficacy as learners across modes.
2. We believe that the intentional integration of arts and sciences opens pathways for young people to participate in robust learning experiences that add to the quality of their lives and communities, and their chances for future success both in and out of school.
3. We believe that people working under the term STEAM, Art/Science, or any other similar term make intentional commitments to young people by integrating at least one discipline of the visual, creative, performing or media arts, and at least one discipline within Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics.
4. We believe that the arts are just as much an intellectual pursuit as they are a creative and expressive one, and we believe that the sciences are just as much a creative pursuit as they are an intellectual one.
5. We believe that STEAM work comes in many forms, and occurs at many intersections. It may be focused on a discipline science, technology, engineering, or mathematics with an art or design component; it may be focused on an artistic discipline with a scientific, technical, or mathematical component; or it may be integrated equally through both disciplinary traditions. You may believe your organization engages in one of these traditions but not others. Or, you may not engage in any at present. That is okay. The purpose of our network is to bring people together and collaboratively produce quality out of school time
6. programming for our children and young people.
7. We believe learning for young people happens across school and out of school time, and can be enhanced, deepened and strengthened through effective partnership and full cooperation between schools and OST organizations and providers of all shapes and sizes.
8. We believe that such experiences are better supported when those involved know each other, cooperate to use and build each other’s expertise, and are aware of the current state of local and global resources and trends. Also, when programs refer the young people they work with to other STEAM projects and encourage them to get their peers involved.
9. STEAM experiences open pathways for young people to participate in robust learning experiences that add to the quality of their lives and communities. Pathways are supported when those involved:

• Know each other
• Cooperate to use and build each other’s expertise
• Are aware of the current local and global resources and trends