PS Science After School
School Site Clubs & classes
PS Science is dedicated to making science learning accessible to all students through our afterschool STEM and Code Clubs, which are available for free or at reduced cost to all Title I schools.
Our clubs offer students discussion time, share-and-tell and group science activities each week. Clubs are grade-specific and available to science-loving K-5 students. Each club has a Lead PS Science Instructor and a low student to Instructor ratio.
The PS Science Instructors who lead the clubs are experienced elementary school STEM educators. Clubs also involve guest visits from STEM professionals and high school and college level STEM students volunteer as mentors with many club groups.
expanding afterschool STEM
Out-of-school STEM learning experiences are an important factor to students’ future success in science. Students need opportunities to engage in hands-on learning that reinforces what they learn in school. The informal learning environment that afterschool clubs provide encourages students’ confidence and STEM identity. Experiencing the joys of problem-solving through activities helps young learners interested in science develop skills that lead to careers in STEM fields.
Although out-of-school STEM learning opportunities are more widely available than ever, they are also less accessible than ever. In the last five years, student participation in afterschool STEM programming has become more stratified by socio-economic status. This is largely due to high-costs associated with hands-on STEM learning compared to other out-of-school activities that don’t require special materials or equipment. All PS Science extended learning opportunities are available to students at our partner schools for free and available at a reduced rate for kids in underserved communities.
intereseted in launching a club at your school?
Coding Event with LA Clippers
On April 9, 2022, the Clippers hosted 25 PS Science code club students and their families at the Crypto.com Arena for a coding event. Students participated in coding projects related to the science of basketball and worked to create a robot that cheers for the team. Each student was surprised with a Chromebook to take home, courtesy of LADWP and the LA Clippers Foundation! Click here to view a video capturing the event.
CODE CLUBS
Code clubs are available for fourth and fifth grade students. Participants learn basic coding using micro:bit and learn skills for creating code, programming sensors, testing and revising the output with lights, sounds, and other sensors. Activities include things like battling robots, kinetic sculptures, robot dance contests, and more!
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT:
Andy Sanchez
Andy brought personality and creativity to his code. Coding is a bit like a sonnet—an overarching structure that provides freedom of content, and he used that freedom to personalize his projects. He left his stamp on every piece of code he wrote (often with cat references!)
Aubrii Fronda
A team leader who enjoyed sharing her creativity with others, Aubrii loved her Wednesday Code Club experience and looked forward to our meetings all week. She loved the challenges of coding and showing off her projects – a favorite was a moving sculpture she created that conjured Little Shop of Horrors.
