SWEETWATER COUNTY — YWCA of Sweetwater County was awarded a grant of $1,400 from the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation. YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Our childcare is part of achieving this mission as childcare places a heavy burden on parents, largely women, to find a safe place for their children while working to care for their families.

This funding was used for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) programs and youth development for YWCA’s school age class. It is important to encourage children to explore STEAM skills and learning. STEAM empowers individuals with the skills to succeed and adapt to this increasingly complex and technological world. STEAM is intended to lead to innovation necessary to sustain the economy. This innovation and science literacy starts with a solid knowledge base.

“Our goal is to introduce more STEAM projects into our School Age Program to continue to encourage an interest in these areas,” YWCA Development Director Kayla Mannikko said.

There is no formal curriculum during the school year as most students attend for one to three hours on a school week. But, with no school Fridays YWCA will use STEAM projects to provide more structured activities. These STEAM projects will also be an exciting addition to the Summer Day Camp program. Students in the School Age Program will be measured through their ability to complete tasks on their own and apply the things learned in the classroom. Students social emotional skills will also be measured through their ability to self-regulate emotions and problem solve when they are upset or concerned about things happening.