Programs After School, Thousand Oaks

Programs After School takes an artistic approach to science, technology, engineering, and math. To get to the moon, they argue, a scientist must first draw the path, imagine the vehicle, and design the components. All the better if those steps can be accomplished without wasting precious or rare manufacturing materials. They only way to accomplish such a feat is through visual art.

The teachers uses blend of Montessori and Waldorf methods, pitching simple, fun activities to students to get them engaged. They report that most of the learning in their classrooms almost feels like an accident on the student's part, since they're just engaged in making art and having fun. Through the fun, they engage with topics such as space exploration, the natural world, and the techniques of painting masters of yore.