We had the pleasure of speaking with Damon Jones of STEAM America and The STEAM Teacher earlier this year, and we are excited to share more information about this worthy cause!
About STEAM America
STEAM America was originally created "to empower schools, nonprofits and other educational organizations to create dynamic learning platforms via robust, customized professional development and training".
This education consultancy is based out of the Washington, DC metropolitan area, where it specializes in helping organizations and individuals create high-impact educational programs and curricula for young people of all backgrounds. The program provides training, curriculum design, professional development, and other services to individuals and organizations seeking to create dynamic education platforms.
STEAM America’s ultimate goal is to establish a sustainable school run on federal funds, but founder Damon does not want this to be a charter school. Through his school, he hopes to access new generations of students through online workshops/resources, picture books, and hands-on experiments that provide real-life application to STEAM learning.
STEAM America and First Book Marketplace
Damon also works with local book and grocery stores to give books and other school supplies to the community, as well as to raise funds for future book purchases. The First Book Marketplace provides educational resources such as books, supplies, digital learning resources, and activities to schools and organizations that serve children in need. STEAM America purchases between 300-500 books from First Book annually. Through Damon Jones' relationships with local schools, STEAM America provides scholarships and books to the students and schools who need them most.
"If there is a school that [needs books], I give them away, no questions asked and no application."
~ Damon Jones, Founder of STEAM America
About The STEAM Teacher
Damon Jones' latest initiative, The STEAM Teacher, has a mission to empower youth and adults with quality, engaging educational resources.
The STEAM Teacher is an online education and YouTube brand that does read-alouds both online and in schools, with a focus on literacy (The STEAM Teacher doesn't separate STEAM and literacy, as they go hand-in-hand).
"STEAM topics are the focus, but literacy is the platform."
~ Damon Jones, Founder of The STEAM Teacher
As more parents look into homeschooling, and market demand pulls him more and more towards this model, Damon knows there is more of a demand than ever for online STEAM educational resources that integrate hands-on learning as well (STEAM projects, not just science projects). A multidisciplinary approach that incorporates math, reading, and writing literacy is essential to The STEAM Teacher's mission.
The STEAM Teacher and Science, Naturally!
We are thrilled that Damon will be reading our books on his YouTube series as part of his mission to combine STEAM education and literacy! He is particularly interested in bilingual books that spread literacy tools and educational access to everyone!
"I am very passionate about assuring that every child is literate. I want to do my part and make sure very child has a fair chance to success in their future."
~ Damon Jones, Founder of The STEAM Teacher