Afterschool Impacts Database
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STEM Greenhouse: Our Year of Showing Up. 2024-2025 Impact Report
Year Published: 2025
The STEM Greenhouse 2024-2025 Impact Report highlights that the organization served 1,068 students and provided 16,000 learning hours across programs such as STEM Scholars, SAGE, and Sankofa STEM Academy. Strong student outcomes were reported, including 100% of students in Sankofa STEM Academy and STEM Scholars 2.0 expressing interest in attending college. Specifically, Sankofa STEM Academy successfully helped close math gaps, increasing the percentage of 6th-grade students performing at or above the benchmark from 49.1% to 66.7%. The program primarily serves students of color from low-income families.
Program Name: STEM Greenhouse
Program Description:
STEM Greenhouse is dedicated to growing STEM proficiency in children to cultivate education and career success, focusing on achieving equity in K-12 STEM education. Their offerings include the STEM Scholars and STEM Scholars 2.0 programs, which are afterschool STEM programs designed to improve students' lives. They also offer the Sankofa STEM Academy, a 5-week STEM Summer Academy, and other programs, including the Kids Count STEM Club and the Sustainable Agriculture, Gardening, and Ecology (SAGE) program.
Scope of the Evaluation: Local
Program Type: Summer, Afterschool
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Community Type: Urban
Grade level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Demographics:
During the 2024-2025 program year, the program served 1,068 students in elementary through high school. Participants were predominantly students of color (95%) and from low-income families (92%).
Program Website: https://stemgreenhouse.org/
Evaluator: STEM Greenhouse
Evaluation Methods:
Student demographic data, teacher and student surveys, and student assessments were used to evaluate the impact of STEM Greenhouse programs.
Evaluation Type: Non-experimental
Summary of Outcomes:
Findings demonstrate the success of several STEM greenhouse programs implemented during the 2024-2025 program year. A breakdown of key findings includes:
- Wide reach: The organization served 1,068 students, providing a total of 16,000 student learning hours across their main programs, including STEM Scholars, SAGE, and Sankofa STEM Academy.
- Strong student outcomes: 100% of students in the Sankofa STEM Academy and STEM Scholars 2.0 programs expressed interest in attending college. For SAGE participants, 100% of their teachers reported increased student engagement and motivation during the school day.
- Increased interest in STEM: In the STEM Scholars program, 97% of participants reported being more interested in STEM careers, and 100% of students see math and science as important for future work.
- Closing Math Gaps for 6th Graders: The Sankofa STEM Academy, the organization’s summer program, successfully helped close math gaps, increasing the percentage of 6th-grade students performing at or above the 6th-grade benchmark from 49.1% to 66.7% post-program.
