Caribbean STEM Coaching Club

Who We Are

In 2015, Future Think joined forces with  The Caribbean Diaspora for Science, Technology & Innovation (UK) and The British Foundation of the University of the West Indies to raise the STEM achievement levels of Caribbean families in the UK. The STEM achievement levels of our Caribbean communities in the UK have long been worryingly low. Yet a strong STEM foundation is critical to opening doors to well-paid jobs in our fast-changing, technologically sophisticated, 21st-century jobs marketplace.

Penny Carballo-Smith talks about Future Think’s workshops for parents in the Caribbean STEM Coaching Club.

What We Do

We help our students academically but our ambitions are far greater. We:


1. Raise awareness of the new and emerging job opportunities available to those with the right skills and mindset;

2. Actively seek to ignite a passion for STEM, and build the emotional resilience, motivation, and confidence needed to succeed;


3. Empower students to learn how to learn – a key skill needed in the workplace of today and tomorrow;

4. Equip students to develop into independent, collaborative, life-long learners.

Since research shows clearly that parents play a crucial role in children’s academic achievement and career choices, we work extensively with and through parents, and run tightly facilitated “Parents Helping Parents” problem-solving discussions. The close involvement of parents also helps us to manage safeguarding considerations.

We draw on the expertise and experience of STEM specialist teachers, a qualified and experienced parenting educator, Caribbean parents of high achievers, and a network of STEM professionals to shape and deliver our programs. At the same time, we believe that we are all on a learning journey together. Everyone has valuable insights and expertise to share. and we encourage all parents and students in the Club to connect, share and learn from one another.

Feedback from Previous Years’ Parents

 “Excellent – amazing opportunity for our children to be taught by high quality teachers. Parenting classes were invaluable – I highly recommend it”

“Excellent.  The most outstanding part of the Club for me  is that you get to meet other parents going through similar challenges and to feel that we are working through challenges as a group and supporting our children together.   I am blown away by the fact that there are people in the community who give up their time for free to support our children.  It is fantastic.  People need to know that there is support out there in the community and we don’t need to struggle on our own. “

Thanks so much for all your efforts, research and giving of time for the STEM Club. As usual, it was fantastic on Saturday. We could have gone on for ages! It’s wonderful learning from other parents and also realising you’re ‘not the only one’. I am inspired, more relaxed and more hopeful ““I value the way the programme focuses on jobs and skills of the future, and opens eyes to new and varied possibilities emerging out there, especially in STEM.”

“The discussions opened our eyes to new and different realities and perspectives that are absolutely relevant nowadays. It was also good to be learning in the parenting discussion groups at the same time that my son was learning in the master class.  It is great modelling and reinforces the fact that we are all on a learning journey and we all need to be lifelong learners.“

“I also value the way the programme allows kids to be in an environment with other kids who look just like them, all trying hard to succeed. “

“The teacher gave her work that stretched her so this made her feel very capable and she was ahead of the game when they started to do these same concepts in class later on.  So all of this boosted her confidence. “

  “[ ] has become more confident and focused, definitely more comfortable with Maths. He seems to understand now that it is just a matter of practice and hard work . He came away from the Club with the message that he can achieve as much as he wants to achieve, once he is willing to do what it takes to achieve. “

“..the fact that he was able to help the other children in the master class made him feel more confident.  The teacher was also covering topics he was learning in school so he was able to ask relevant questions. He would normally play football on a Saturday morning but he was happy to come to the master classes – he enjoyed them. “

“[  ] is more serious about his work now  and will revise unprompted.  He will attempt all Maths questions now whereas before , he would be quick to say  say “I can’t”.

For further information on the Caribbean STEM Coaching Club, please see here

 
           

“People Helping People” Problem-Solving Discussions

We try hard to create a safe space for the families in our network to develop the social and intellectual capital and know-how all families need to thrive in fast and constantly changing educational and labor market landscapes. We seek to build trust, generate commitment, and drive results through well-developed “Relationship Intelligence” (RQ). We embrace the following four key RQ skills promoted by the world’s leading expert on relationship awareness theory, Tim Scudder Ph.D., a principal and primary researcher at Core Strengths (www.corestrengths.com):

1.Positive regard: treating people (including oneself) with dignity and respect, always assuming positive intentions and motives.

2. Service orientation: being curious and open to learning what people need; being willing to meet other people’s needs and being appreciative when they meet yours.

3. Personal accountability: taking ownership and initiative; being responsible for the results of your actions and choices.

4. Strength-based agility: the intentional use of behavior strengths in pursuit of desired outcomes, choosing the right person(s) and tools for the job.

Some of our previous People Helping People Problem-Solving Discussions can be found here