Our Story

Our Story

After ten years of passionate work with math and science educators as part of a comprehensive National Science Foundation Math Science Partnership program, we started to work with children’s librarians in 2013, helping them to integrate STEM activities into their summer reading program. The children’s librarians asked us for STEM activities to go with their storybooks that are fun and engaging for kids, easy to use, require minimal preparation time, and are aligned to research and standards. The idea for Storytime STEM-Packs was born. With the support of an NSF Innovation Corps for Learning grant (2015) we conducted over 130 personal interviews with educators. Based on these interviews, field testing, and feedback from librarians, elementary teachers, STEAM teachers, Head Start teachers, parents, and administrators, we refined our product. In August of 2016 we released our first 5 Storytime STEM-packs. Read more. 

With funding from the PPG Foundation and internal funding, we continued to develop additional Storytime STEM-packs. Support from a PAsmart grant (2019) and our partnership with Terrapin brought another innovation, the inclusion of computer science. In the new Storytime STEM+C Adventures, children are engaged in stories, STEM activities, and program Bee-Bot robots to perform computer science challenges on a colorful mat. In 2021, the Iowa Governor's STEM Council STEM Scale-up program funded the distribution of Storytime STEM-packs to 630 educators throughout the state of Iowa. We continue to look for more funding and new partners to bring Storytime STEM-packs to children in all fifty states.

At Storytime STEM-packs we believe:

• All children should have access to high quality effective instruction.

• Learning can be fun and standards-aligned.

• With the right supports, all educators can be effective STEM teachers for young children. 

Why do we believe these things?

• We have had the privilege to see this play out in classrooms, public libraries, and after-school program since the inception of Storytime STEM-packs in 2013.

• Our funders, ranging from the National Science Foundation, corporate funders, to state funders have recognized the promise of Storytime STEM-packs and awarded us grants to develop and scale up our products.

• Our evaluators have documented the impact Storytime STEM-packs.

 What do our customers say?

• To hear more customer testimony and watch/see children engaging with Storytime STEM in the classroom/library, click here 

• Our customers need and want instructional materials that are fun and engaging for kids, easy to use with minimal preparation time, and aligned to standards.

• We are working hard to deliver for you.

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