“There’s a way to do it better - find it.
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MISSION
Founded in 2016, Marshmallow Minds is a 501(c)(3) public benefit nonprofit organization with the mission to make future-ready, highly engaging, and experiential education easily accessible and very affordable for Title-1 schools that serve children from under-resourced communities.
Since 2016, Marshmallow Minds has delivered quality in-school programs that meet the 21st-century learning standards to thousands of students in public schools in the bay area.
IMPACT AT-A-GLANCE
VIEW IMPACT FLIPBOOK
steam explore and design thinking program
The Marshmallow Minds in-school program offers learning opportunities for grades K-8 with 3-15 hours of instruction covering topics from science, physics, robotics, and ecology.
Our program fosters children's Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math (STEAM), problem-solving, and socio-emotional learning (SEL) skills — the foundations for lifelong learning that allow children to stay curious, collaborative, and creative forever.
All of our lessons allow students to explore a comprehensive set of science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts as recommended by Next Generation Science Standards. Introducing real-world learning experiences and allowing children to problem-solve using Design Thinking and STEAM helps them become aware of their environment and feel the excitement of hands-on problem-solving while learning to work in groups and have fun.
THERE IS A NEED FOR WHAT WE DO.
Most children in our participating Title-1 schools have limited access to STEAM and do not have access to Design Thinking. A survey of participating students during the 2022-23 school year found more than 80% of the students were learning Design Thinking for the first time through Marshmallow Minds.
Research studies at Harvard School of Public Health show that the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change disproportionately affect low-income families. Design Thinking is a simple yet powerful problem-solving process that can empower Title-1 school children to face challenges and become creative problem-solvers for a better future for themselves and their communities.
Therefore, promoting Title-1 school student engagement with STEAM and Design Thinking education from early years to build creative confidence in problem-solving is becoming increasingly crucial for navigating the future of unknowns and uncertainties.
“Title-1 schools are schools in which children from low-income families make up at least 40% of the enrollment. Most often the Title-1 funds are used for school-wide interventions in ELA and Math in an attempt to close the gap and not so much on innovative enrichment programs like STEAM.”
Prasanna Padmanabhan, Fremont Union School District, School Teacher
“Marshmallow Minds outreach program makes our students feel honored and worthy.”
Alie Victorine, Franklin McKinley School District, School Teacher
“The program serves as a great example for a direction as a teacher you want to move towards to but at times you feel overwhelmed to do it. To know that there is a support structure out there to help you is very encouraging.”
Amelia Drake, Cupertino Union School District, School Teacher
