Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation Partners with Stewart & Tate Construction to Open STEM Center at E.F. Smith STEAM Academy

The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation (CRSF), in partnership with Stewart & Tate Construction, are set to open a state-of-the-art STEM Center at Edgar Fahs Smith STEAM Academy in York, PA. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Monday, October 2, 2023, to celebrate the new STEM center. The STEM Center, designed to get youth interested in science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on learning, will be fully equipped with the latest technology and tool kits that include hands-on games and activities.

About the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation:
The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation helps to strengthen America’s most underserved and distressed communities by supporting and advocating for children, building Youth Development Parks and STEM Centers, partnering with law enforcement and youth-service agencies, and addressing community needs through its national program initiatives. CRSF has opened over 365 STEM Centers nationwide, gifting children in communities across the country a new access to state-of-the-art technology, hands-on learning experiences, and skill sets essential to the future of STEM.

About Smith STEAM Academy:
Edgar Fahs Smith STEAM Academy focuses on project-based learning and stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math. While those content areas are emphasized, it’s really the approach to education that makes STEAM different from traditional classroom learning. At the Academy, the structure of the school day allows students to learn critical content in the subjects of math, science, ELA, and social studies, and apply that knowledge in meaningful and artistic ways through project-based learning.

The student population of the Academy is just under 350 and serves grades 3-8. The school’s minority student enrollment is 85%. The public school enrolls 77% economically disadvantaged students.