Our mission is to use science, technology and engineering to develop persistent curiosity and to show that knowledge is empowering.

PARENTS AS LEADERS

Stage One

Our vision for the “Parents as Leaders” program is for parents to co-invest in the Family Science Courses so that they will be a vital force driving the program. We will partner with local university business schools and provide leadership classes for the parents that will help them organize aspects of the Family Science Courses such as food, materials, translation, facilitating course activities, photo/video documentation of the sessions and recruitment of other families. We will also provide interested parents with classes on grant writing and fundraising so that they are in a position to raise the $1000-$1200 needed to cover cost of food and materials.

This financial support will enable Iridescent’s Family Science Program to become sustainable at any partner school and enables us to provide long-term support to the students and parents at that school.

We would also recruit a parent coordinator who would link us with the parents and provide a safe avenue for parents to provide feedback and suggestions for improvement.

We have successfully piloted the co-investing strategy in two of our Los Angeles schools. We have also conducted a Needs Assessment Survey in which 51% of 824 parents expressed interest in co-investing in the Family Science Courses. More details from this survey can be found here.

The vision is that through the community co-investing model, the Family Science Program will provide a venue through which parents can directly contribute to the community, thereby increasing their sense of collective efficacy.

Stage Two

If stage one of the Parents as leaders program is successful, we will provide entrepreneurship training, exposure and support to parents that will then they leverage to raise funds to support the Family Science Programs at their children’s schools. This low-stakes, high-support environment would allow them to be successful, increase their confidence and be the first step towards launching their own enterprises.