Needs
Our Needs
EDEC focuses on children and youth who live in underserved/soft-served communities between the ages of 6-18 years of age in grades first through high school. Children between the ages of five to 11 make up close to 40% of the children attending Dallas public schools. It is projected that 50% of the system's students will be in middle school within 3 years.
EDEC works in collaboration and coordination with family transitional shelters, schools, community programs, and recreation centers. Geographical areas served are zip codes 75202, 75211,75212, 75215, 75216, 75217, 75232,75237, 75241, and 76108 and represent low-income, high-risk neighborhoods that lack access to adequate community resources found in other settings. Within these zip codes, 31.34% of students live in poverty. Our clients are similar in age, gender, educational level, household income, geographical location, and underserved communities. Currently, there are over 70,000 students living in the areas served by our organization. Over 22,000 (>31%) of these students are living in poverty and could benefit from the programs offered by us. At this time, we currently provide services for 1,959 of these students. There is an opportunity for us to grow and have a much larger positive impact on the community.
Our STEAM Academy
STEAM education is vital to educating and preparing the next generation of workers, generating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and addressing new environmental and societal challenges. Our program aims to get upper elementary and middle school underserved, under-resourced students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, art, and Math. S.T.E.A.M. professions, particularly in the United States, face a consistent problem with a lack of diversity in the field. Minority groups and women remain severely underrepresented, depriving them of economic opportunity and depriving society of their talents and unique potential contributions. The lack of quality, motivating S.T.E.A.M. educational experiences for minority students is especially acute in the greater Dallas area and specifically in the zip codes served by our organization. According to current trends, there are not enough students selecting S.T.E.A.M -related pathways to meet the global demand. According to current trends, there are not enough students selecting S.T.E.A.M -related pathways to meet the global demand. Our goal is to provide equity and access to high-quality STEAM programs that immerse students in STEAM. Data shows (Education Next) that closing the achievement gap still remains a major challenge. This summer(2022) alone we have served 720 students in our STEAM academy. We are seeking funding to expand our Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (S.T.E.A.M.) program.