SoLa
Foundation

The lab will explore materials science with a focus on career skills in aerospace, robotics, engineering and more. In addition, the Lab creates new opportunities for teaching STEM subjects, manufacturing methods, trade skills and more through year-round daytime and afterschool programs - creating a new and needed resource for dozens of area schools. The Lab will serve as a nexus within the SoLa Technology and Entrepreneurship Center for ideation, entrepreneurship and manufacturing.

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The lab will be pivotal in bridging the access gap in engineering/hard sciences proficiency experienced by South Los Angeles students. Through a detailed assessment, students will be matched to entry to advanced STEM programs, each of which connects topics and methods to applications within industry, careers and daily life. Students will deploy their knowledge through challenge based curricula resulting in a mastery of design thinking and process.​

 

   With this new access to STEM education and specialized equipment students in South LA for the first time will have the opportunity to participate in challenges/competitions and achieve placement in STEM internships, heightening their eligibility for entrance into the most elite and competitive engineering colleges and universities. Moreover, the Lab will serve the wider South LA community of schools by providing additional bookable lab facilities to fill critical learning gaps (including advanced placement courses) widened during the COVID-19 pandemic.