Exploring Possibility: Science, Art, and Project-Based Programming
Our Young Einstein's are our youngest scholars beginning in 4K and going to 2nd grade. In this program we take a STEAM-based approach to curriculum building, which allows our scholars to develop critical thinking skills and curiosity about the world around them at a young age.
Our Young Einstein's are our youngest scholars beginning in 4K and going to 2nd grade. In this program we take a STEAM-based approach to curriculum building, which allows our scholars to develop critical thinking skills and curiosity about the world around them at a young age.
2022 was a year of reset for our Young Einsteins program since pre-COVID times. In the second half of the 2021-2022 school year we were able to focus more about programming and providing our youngest scholars with intentional STEAM-based activities and aligning the STEAM-based activities with standard-based learning.
Our Young Einsteins Program Lead, Emily Ventola, was very intentional in allowing our scholars to have input on the types of programming she planned. We had no shortage of ideas!
STEAM activities our students love most are the exploratory, hands-on activities. Some examples of activities our Young Einstein’s loved this year included; creating slime, science experiments (such as taking baking soda and little droppers of vinegar and food coloring to see how they react to each other), and art activities.
“We have been busy with the Young Einsteins building, creating, and exploring. I've been so happy to see how all of our scholars - even our littlest 4 year olds - have been able to engage in our activities and show off their creative energy!” - Emily Ventola, Young Einsteins Program Lead
Puppetry on the Mind for our Young Einsteins
On Tuesday, February 21st, FUL's K4 thru 2nd grade scholars were visited by local artist Anwar Floyd-Pruit from the House of RAD.
On this day, they were blessed with a puppet show, a lesson on how to create their own puppet, and even got the chance to make their own, all in one session!
The energy in the room was magnetic, as students cut, glued, and smiled their way through the fruitful process.
At Future Urban Leaders, we believe in cultivating the genius and imagination of our young scholars. Events like this are what we live and breathe for!
FUL Young Einsteins Enter a Whole New World...of ART!
On Tuesday, February 7th, our Young Einstein scholars (grades 4K thru 2nd) were invited to the House of RAD, a local arts collective operating out of the Riverwest community. The studio is home to 20 artists with varied backgrounds of artistry. Here you'll find anything from welding, to agate cutting, to jewelry making, to carpentry.
Our Young Einsteins visited David Jones and Marilyn Propp of Anchor Press, Paper and Print - a community based print shop operating out of the studio. Scholars sketched a piece of artwork that embodied their spirit and got the opportunity to create ink prints with Marilyn and FUL parents coaching them along. When that stage concluded, they then worked with David who readied the young people for the opportunity of the evening: running their own artwork through a printing press!
Scholars leapt at the opportunity to work the wheel of the machine the "Price is Right" style! Laughs, smiles, and positive energy spread throughout the studio, as everyone was in the jovial spirits about the artwork being created. FUL looks forward to creating future opportunities with David and Marilyn and all the other resident art doers in the studio space.
2022 Summertime Programming at FUL
Summer programming is essential for FUL, as it provides our scholars and our staff the open opportunity to deepen the bonds built through after-school programming. Here is an overview of FUL’s 2022 Summer Programming!
Creating bonds to empower scholars
School may not be in session during the summer, but for Future Urban Leaders summer is a time for us to: focus on providing our scholars with new experiences, build connections with fellow scholars, provide opportunities for them to learn more about themselves, and include fun in all of our activities. Summer programming is essential for FUL, as it provides our scholars and our staff the open opportunity to deepen the bonds built through after-school programming. Here is an overview of FUL’s 2022 Summer Programming!
June 14 - Scholar Showcase Event
Our Scholar Showcase Event is a culmination of FUL’s 2021-22 After-School Programming. Scholars have the opportunity to share what they have been busy learning about/working on throughout the school year’s programming. A few examples of what was shared by scholars;
Entrepreneurs pitched their business enterprises and sold their products to guests
Artists exhibited their individual work, while also debuting the group mural they collaborated on
Engineers showcased their knowledge of machination concepts through the use of Legos
Third graders led the audience in a few mindfulness strategies to clear our minds of outside stresses
Middle schoolers demonstrated for the audience how to center your body, soul, and mind through the practice of yoga
June 17 - FUL Graduation Celebration
FUL’s Graduation Celebration was for our 8th graders transitioning to high school as well as our two high school seniors transitioning to college. At the event, our high school scholars were able to write letters of advice and encouragement to the incoming ninth graders.
June 24-26- Kettle Moraine Camping Trip
Our high school scholars had the opportunity to collectively set up tents, build the campfire and prepare meals. During the weekend, scholars engaged in group discussions about high school, participated in night hikes, and experienced the peace and tranquility the outdoors provide a person's soul.
July 11-15 - HBCU Trip
We were able to take 12 FUL high school scholars on a week-long trip along the East Coast. We toured five historically black colleges and universities and visited a few historical African American sites across states.
Through all of the driving, our group experienced several "firsts", including experiencing Washington D.C.'s many wonders, and immersing ourselves in the Atlantic Ocean. Though we were drained upon our return to Milwaukee, the excitement from the experience with the scholars keeps us looking towards their endless possibilities.
July 20th - Devils Lake Hiking Trip
We were able to take a group of scholars ranging from incoming fourth to seventh graders on a camping trip to Devil’s Lake. The trip was a blast! We spent our weekend hiking, swimming, grilling out, and bonding as a group.
August 6 - Registration Cookout
Our registration cookout is a tradition for FUL to get our staff, scholars, and families together before the start of the new school year. This year we were able to introduce FUL’s new Executive Director, Darnell Hamilton, as well as reconnect with some scholars and their families.
Summer is a special time for Future Urban Leaders. We are very happy we were able to bring back a number of our summer programs this year, as they were canceled due to the COVID pandemic the past few summers. We are more excited than ever to begin a new school year with our scholars and to continue to watch them as they embrace and realize their full potential.
Power in Play: Play with Purpose
Play is more than fun for young children. Play is the way children learn about the world, themselves, and others.
Play is more than fun for young children. Play is the way children learn about the world, themselves, and others. Providing the space, time, and freedom for children to play, no matter how they play, also provides the opportunity to learn.. The power in play is harnessed by our Young Einsteins program.
When our Young Einsteins program first began, it was to offer childcare for the younger siblings of FUL scholars. We wanted to provide a childcare service to save families from making two trips to pick up their kids from school. In more recent years however, we have grown the program to utilize STEAM learning and lessons to help even our youngest scholars begin to play with purpose to build the foundation for success.
By definition, STEAM Education is an approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. Research shows that STEAM education leads to youth who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process - all of these are tools we want to help scholars add to their toolbox at an early age.
Our Young Einsteins have the opportunity to explore art projects and science-related game-based activities as part of their play.
“Kids at this age tend to miss out on science, because there is such a focus on reading, literacy and math. This is why our Young Einstein’s programming offers science and game-based topics - to help fill in the gaps of their exploration and learning,” stated Emily, FUL’s Young Einsteins Program Coordinator.
In 2022, our goal is to assimilate our Young Einsteins program to align more closely with our other FUL programs. We plan to do this through aligning our STEAM learning with standards-based learning to provide more structure to lessons and play activities we offer our Young Einsteins.
Another exciting venture we are eager to dive into this year is bringing basic coding through games to our Young Einsteins experience. Coding and computer science is in essence another language that, with early exposure, is easier to master. As a part of our STEAM programming, we are excited to allow our students to create and explore programming in its simplest form through coding.