Apply to present with STEMCAP
STEMCAP programming is designed to fuel creativity and inspire youth who have justice-impacted
backgrounds to engage with and communicate about STEM concepts. If you are interested
in presenting
with us, apply now.
Why Present with STEMCAP?
Education for Youth-in-Custody reduces the probability of recidivism and increases the probability of post-release employment. The presence of scientists who can experientially present the content, process, sense of purpose, and joy of the can inspire and motivate youth.
STEMCAP programming is designed to fuel creativity and to inspire youth who have complex and diverse backgrounds. We encourage the involvement of artists and creatives that might diversify our programming and show the multitude of ways to understand and communicate about the world.
Presenter Guidance
The environment of a Youth-In-Custody facility is unique and offers challenges and experiences different from those that most scientists and artists are used to encountering. YIC students have extremely varied educational backgrounds and capabilities. In addition, each center operates slightly differently. STEMCAP staff work with teachers within these centers to provide programs that meet the center’s needs. Over the past three years, we have developed a strong relationship with our partner centers as well as a deeper understanding of what makes for the most impactful programming at each facility. Our guidelines are always evolving as we continue to learn and as centers continue to change.
STEM WORKSHOP TYPES
Science Right Now
Engages students in current scientific research and projects through hands-on activities to foster confidence and enthusiasm for science.
Art-Science Workshop
Students learn and apply scientific and artistic principles through hands-on art activities.
Portal to Science
Provides virtual tours to showcase lab space and equipment, highlight research practices and techniques, and meet individuals who work in a lab.
Objects from Nature
Engages students to interact with museum professionals, naturalists, and scientists to observe and study natural objects from diverse environments.
Conservation Workshops
Inform students about current environmental issues, conservation efforts, and creates opportunities for participation in hands-on conservation projects.
SUMMER CAMPS
The Art of Nature Observation summer camp series included place-based education that provides youth with a connection to and better understanding of their local ecosystem, the species that live there, the effects that humans have on the environment, and the impacts – positive and negative – that the Salt Lake Valley environment has on human health. The camp emphasizes growth as a process and wellness as an outcome of – rather than in conflict with – academic pursuit and learning, highlighting balance, relationship building, and reflection as components of personal change and tools for more profoundly connecting with STEM, art, and the natural world.
ART ENRICHMENT
Weekly art classes provide incarcerated youth with opportunities for self-expression and exhibiting their artwork to the public. In 2023, fall classes culminated in the exhibition “The Rose that Grew from Concrete” at the Gittins Gallery at the University of Utah campus.
In the spring, art classes culminated in an exhibition swap between two youth centers, with a flyer designed by a formerly incarcerated student.
