Bridging Educational Equity Gaps with Illumination Foundation

Dreams for Schools (DFS) and Illumination Foundation have partnered to bring K-12 STEAM Coding & Technology classes to the students in the rapid rehousing and transitional housing shelters of Illumination Foundation in Orange County, CA. Both organizations believe in closing the digital equity gap and ensuring that quality educational programs can play a role in disrupting the cycle of homelessness in Southern California— making this a perfect partnership.

As a STEAM education non-profit organization, DFS works to advance education equity by bridging gaps in STEAM education, with an emphasis on computer science, by working with a range of community stakeholders from K-12 students, educators, schools, districts, as well as higher education students to provide educational programs that would not otherwise be available to our clients. DFS’s primary programs include 1) STEAM Curriculum Development, 2) K-12 STEAM Classes, 3) Vocational Opportunities for STEAM Higher Ed Students, 4) Professional Development for Educators and 5) Scholarships for STEAM Higher Ed Students. 

At the Illumination Foundation, they believe that every person has an intrinsic right to home, health, and dignity. Illumination’s mission is to disrupt the cycle of homelessness in Southern California by providing a comprehensive safety net of client-centered services for the most vulnerable individuals, families, and children in Orange, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino counties. Illumination Foundation goes beyond just housing people who are experiencing homelessness—from street to home, we provide a full continuum of care and resources to bring people the support they need.

In 2020, throughout the pandemic, Illumination Foundation has served 5,216 clients, providing shelter, health care, counseling, connections to social services, housing, and hope. This is just a small snapshot of the impact Illumination Foundation has had on disrupting the cycle of homelessness, and the extra mile they have been able to go for those affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Dreams for Schools ensured program continuity and expanded programming to serve 1,162 students and employ a total of 48 instructors. These efforts have built upon 2019 accomplishments – partnering with 59 schools, serving 903 students, as well as training and employing 212 instructors recruited from STEM programs at local colleges and universities.

During the Spring 2021 pilot class, a total of 19 kids in grades 1st – 8th participated in the Let’s Explore STEM (1st – 2nd grade), Coding Games with Scratch (3rd – 5th grade), and Web Development (6th – 8th grade). Classes were taught by DFS Instructors: Dejie Zhen, Julie Tran, Lena Nguyen, and Sydney Eads. The students are incredibly inspiring to work with and talented as well. Our instructors see their energy, engagement, and creativity in every class! 

“This year has been a wake up call for our education system and finding ways to effectively support students in different communities. We’ve found ways to reach students through a diverse group of partners. With this new partnership with Illumination Foundation, we’re excited to meet students where they are and offer Coding, Technology & Engineering programs that help students explore their skillsets and prepare them for dynamic careers of the future.” – Nithin Jilla, Executive Director, Dreams for Schools 

“The past year has been filled with challenges, hardship and uncertainty for all of us. The struggle and despair of vulnerable individuals and families has never been greater. Our partnership with Dreams For Schools ensures that every child in our program has the opportunity to learn, grow, develop and DREAM!” – Paul Leon, CEO, Illumination Foundation

Students will be presenting their games & websites at the showcases in early June. Thank you to the DFS corporate partners for helping support this collaboration. 

For more information on Illumination Foundation, please visit: https://www.ifhomeless.org/ 

If you would like to help support STEAM classes with Illumination Foundation, please contact us [email protected].