STEAM Ahead Project

STEAM Ahead is a project funded through the Assistance for Arts Education Development and Dissemination (AAEDD) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. STEAM Ahead provided Kindergarten through 5th grade classroom teachers and teaching artists ongoing professional development that expanded approaches to STEM arts integration (STEAM), collaborative and inquiry-based planning and delivery of instruction, and innovative and effective standards-based teaching and learning. STEAM Ahead teacher and teaching artist collaborators co-designed and co-taught STEAM integrated curricula.

This website documents the STEAM Ahead Project, developed by Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) and Park Forest - Chicago Heights School District 163 (SD 163) from 2018-2023.

Unit Outlines, PDs, and Activity Archive are curated resources you can use at your school or district. Find out more about STEAM Ahead teachers, teaching artists, and consultants through Our Story in Videos.

We are sharing the results of this collaboration on this website, and invite you to use STEAM Ahead in your school or district.

Click on any of these links to find more about the components of this project.

Click here for Unit Outlines:

Six 15-lesson units aligned to NGSS and National Visual Arts standards for K-5 students.

Click here for STEAM Ahead Activity Archive:

Eight STEAM lessons used as extensions or as stand-alone activities.

Click here for STEAM Ahead
Professional Development:

Fifteen separate PDs that focus on integrating Art with STEM, featuring various artists and artmaking opportunities. Outlines walk you through the PowerPoints for each PD.

Click here for Our Story in Videos:

Click here for Public Presentations:

Sharing STEAM Ahead through Conference presentations and Student Exhibitions

Click here for Further Resources:

Kinetic Sculpture

STEAM Ahead Project Components

STEAM Ahead
Project Components