More than 90 percent of Pride Academy students attend an urban public school that has limited resources and is classified as failing. Of those same children, almost half who took ISTEP (Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress) in 2015 failed the math section.
Pride Academy is dedicated to reversing these statistics by helping our most vulnerable students excel through Pride in Motion, an after-school program for children age 5-11 that focuses on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) and academic tutoring.
Statistics show that children who are exposed to STEM and Arts curriculum at a very young age perform better in science and math than students who are not. Statistics also show that having access to quality STEM and Arts-related after-school programs increases the likelihood of graduation.
Pride in Motion offers children a variety of engaging educational activities in fun and innovative ways. The academic and enrichment program promotes hands-on, experiential learning.
From science experiments to engineering projects using Lego Mindstorms to educational computer “games” and arts programming (including classical music lessons by IU School of Music students and professors to dance and visual arts from local professionals), Pride students are on the cutting edge of STEAM education.
Part of the Pride in Motion curriculum includes STEM Scouts, a innovation program that allows elementary, middle and high school students to learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics through fun and creative lab sessions. Guided by STEM professionals, students learn about bridge construction, vertical farming, robotics, circuits, urban ecology, pneumatics and more using their own hands (and minds).
Pride Academy is the only inner-city preschool/childcare facility offering STEM Scouts in Indianapolis or Central Indiana. It’s yet another example of how Pride focuses on closing the achievement gap among the city’s most under-served children.
Collectively, the programming through Pride in Motion will help inner-city students expand their capacity to think independently, problem solve and work together, while also allowing them to learn to express themselves in productive and creative ways.
At Pride Academy, the majority of students live at or below the poverty level, with parents who are under educated and struggling to make ends meet. While our students have the capacity to excel educationally — and many do — there are those who struggle in school and on standardized tests. Pride in Motion is designed to demolish those educational barriers by providing high-quality STEAM curriculum often not found in the urban schools that most of our students attend.
In addition to the STEAM curriculum, students involved in Pride in Motion engage in academic tutoring, homework sessions, life skills coaching and personal enrichment opportunities.
Under the supervision of Pride teachers who have their associate or bachelor’s degrees in Early Childhood Education, students receive one-on-one and group homework sessions to help unlock the key to full mastery and understanding of academic subjects. One of the ways in which this is accomplished is by focusing on learning styles. Helping students understand their learning style and master study skills based on those different styles allows students to feel and be confident in the classroom.
Ultimately, Pride in Motion’s programming will help close the socioeconomic gaps in education by increasing the academic opportunities available for minority and under-served children. The program provides the academic rigor, encouragement and support students need but don’t receive in their respective schools, which will allow them to not only succeed in the classroom but also in life.