When Santa Ana Unified School District launched its partnership with IDEA Lab Kids and its STEAM on Demand platform two years ago, the goal was to bring more engaging, career-connected learning opportunities to students — especially those from underrepresented groups. Today, the results speak for themselves.
“We’ve seen a noticeable increase in student engagement and enthusiasm, both from students directly participating in the program but also from other grade levels that are expressing interest,” said Lupita Cruz, director of expanded learning for Santa Ana USD. “The hands-on, project-based learning quickly became a favorite for kids.”
STEAM on Demand, co-founded and led by Devina Bhojwani — who serves as president of IDEA Lab Kids — delivers a fully packaged, video-supported curriculum that empowers expanded learning staff to lead meaningful STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) experiences without needing a background in science or teaching.
“The one thing they said about the curriculum was it was clearly structured, it was user-friendly, it was easy to follow, and it didn’t require someone to have a specialized background in science or engineering,” Cruz said. “It empowered them to feel confident to be able to facilitate these experiences without the added pressure of having to be an expert.”
For Cruz, the most powerful part of the program is the way it builds student confidence and opens their minds to future possibilities.
“As students engaged in a lot of the content we offer, they began really making connections between what they were learning in the classroom to a lot of the real-world pieces,” she said. “For many, I think it really opened their eyes to new academic interests… and career pathways that maybe they didn’t consider before.”
The partnership began with a small pilot but quickly gained traction thanks to the platform’s flexibility, ease of implementation and alignment with the district’s expanded learning goals.
“Our main goal with the partnership really was to spark curiosity and help students see themselves in the same careers they may have not considered before,” Cruz said. “And the cornerstone of our success really lies in what we call… the power of the P3 model, and we talk about unlocking passion, finding purpose through play.”
Jennifer Franklin, success manager at STEAM on Demand, works closely with the Santa Ana team and describes the partnership as both seamless and collaborative.
“We felt like we were part of the Santa Ana team, coming in there, doing that presentation,” Franklin said. “It was so fluid back and forth, troubleshooting when needed. We’re just really excited about what continues to lie ahead.”
Franklin also emphasizes the importance of making STEAM learning accessible at home — not just during program hours.
“All of the materials are meant to be consumable,” she said. “So at the end of a lesson or activity, it goes home with the kids. We want it to be a continuation of learning once they get home, so that excitement doesn’t just end when they walk out the door.”
Santa Ana USD is now planning to expand it to all elementary grade levels and is exploring ways to deepen alignment with the district’s instructional goals while maintaining the hands-on, exploratory nature of the content. Franklin says making the program available to every student is a core part of the mission.
“We hope that we would be available and utilized across all grade levels, all schools,” she said. “Because really, that’s the goal — we want to give all kids access to hands-on learning, to project-based learning, to take place in these lessons in some capacity.”
Cruz echoes that sentiment as she looks toward the future.
“We always wanted to cultivate a program-wide culture where curiosity, creativity and hands-on exploration is just the norm,” she said. “And I really do feel that STEAM on Demand is a vital partner to really be able to expand that vision for us.”
Looking forward, Bhojwani says the most compelling impact isn’t just on students, but on the facilitators themselves.
“We’ve heard these teachers and paraprofessionals give us feedback, that ‘I have come out to be a more confident teacher after using this platform,’” she said. “That is such a powerful statement… I learned along with my kids and I came out to be a stronger leader.”
With more campuses joining the program and enthusiasm continuing to grow, the partnership between Santa Ana USD and IDEA Lab Kids is offering a clear path forward — one where STEAM education is not only fun and accessible but foundational to every student’s future.
ABOUT LYRICOS® LEARNING, LLC:
Lyricos® Learning, LLC is the home to IDEA Lab Kids and is also the creator of STEAM on Demand, a leading provider of streaming interactive content and tools for planning and leading standards-aligned, engaging, and fun TK-8 STEAM hands-on lessons.
ABOUT STEAM ON DEMAND®:
STEAM on Demand® is a technology platform that offers science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) interactive lessons “on demand” which are designed to be used in a collaborative classroom setting or online. Hundreds of interactive video lessons have been developed as part of the platform’s core content. These kid-tested videos spotlight topics that align with national and state level curriculum standards across all STEAM subjects and guide teachers and students through hands-on projects. Also included is access to a variety of coding pathways for students of all levels. The platform provides all the content and tools needed to plan and conduct entire afterschool programs.
ABOUT IDEA LAB® KIDS:
IDEA Lab® Kids was founded as a way for kids to explore their love of science, technology, engineering, art, and math subjects. The award-winning Houston-based education franchise system offers after-school classes, camps, birthday parties, open labs, and much more to children. The brand has positioned itself to be a leader in the growing STEAM education space with franchises in the U.S., Canada, and internationally. IDEA Lab Kids franchises are only offered or sold in states where they are registered or compliant with applicable franchise laws.
The franchise fee of $35,500 provides an assigned territory for establishing a location and for offering IDEA Lab On-the-Go℠ . The startup costs for an IDEA Lab Kids franchise can range from $163,000 to $465,000. To learn more about franchising with IDEA Lab Kids, visit https://1851franchise.com/lyricoslearning/info.
Lyricos Learning
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The district’s expanded learning team and STEAM on Demand are working together to build confidence, curiosity and career readiness through hands-on enrichment.
When Santa Ana Unified School District launched its partnership with IDEA Lab Kids and its STEAM on Demand platform two years ago, the goal was to bring more engaging, career-connected learning opportunities to students — especially those from underrepresented groups. Today, the results speak for themselves.
“We’ve seen a noticeable increase in student engagement and enthusiasm, both from students directly participating in the program but also from other grade levels that are expressing interest,” said Lupita Cruz, director of expanded learning for Santa Ana USD. “The hands-on, project-based learning quickly became a favorite for kids.”
STEAM on Demand, co-founded and led by Devina Bhojwani — who serves as president of IDEA Lab Kids — delivers a fully packaged, video-supported curriculum that empowers expanded learning staff to lead meaningful STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) experiences without needing a background in science or teaching.
“The one thing they said about the curriculum was it was clearly structured, it was user-friendly, it was easy to follow, and it didn’t require someone to have a specialized background in science or engineering,” Cruz said. “It empowered them to feel confident to be able to facilitate these experiences without the added pressure of having to be an expert.”
For Cruz, the most powerful part of the program is the way it builds student confidence and opens their minds to future possibilities.
“As students engaged in a lot of the content we offer, they began really making connections between what they were learning in the classroom to a lot of the real-world pieces,” she said. “For many, I think it really opened their eyes to new academic interests… and career pathways that maybe they didn’t consider before.”
The partnership began with a small pilot but quickly gained traction thanks to the platform’s flexibility, ease of implementation and alignment with the district’s expanded learning goals.
“Our main goal with the partnership really was to spark curiosity and help students see themselves in the same careers they may have not considered before,” Cruz said. “And the cornerstone of our success really lies in what we call… the power of the P3 model, and we talk about unlocking passion, finding purpose through play.”
Jennifer Franklin, success manager at STEAM on Demand, works closely with the Santa Ana team and describes the partnership as both seamless and collaborative.
“We felt like we were part of the Santa Ana team, coming in there, doing that presentation,” Franklin said. “It was so fluid back and forth, troubleshooting when needed. We’re just really excited about what continues to lie ahead.”
Franklin also emphasizes the importance of making STEAM learning accessible at home — not just during program hours.
“All of the materials are meant to be consumable,” she said. “So at the end of a lesson or activity, it goes home with the kids. We want it to be a continuation of learning once they get home, so that excitement doesn’t just end when they walk out the door.”
Santa Ana USD is now planning to expand it to all elementary grade levels and is exploring ways to deepen alignment with the district’s instructional goals while maintaining the hands-on, exploratory nature of the content. Franklin says making the program available to every student is a core part of the mission.
“We hope that we would be available and utilized across all grade levels, all schools,” she said. “Because really, that’s the goal — we want to give all kids access to hands-on learning, to project-based learning, to take place in these lessons in some capacity.”
Cruz echoes that sentiment as she looks toward the future.
“We always wanted to cultivate a program-wide culture where curiosity, creativity and hands-on exploration is just the norm,” she said. “And I really do feel that STEAM on Demand is a vital partner to really be able to expand that vision for us.”
Looking forward, Bhojwani says the most compelling impact isn’t just on students, but on the facilitators themselves.
“We’ve heard these teachers and paraprofessionals give us feedback, that ‘I have come out to be a more confident teacher after using this platform,’” she said. “That is such a powerful statement… I learned along with my kids and I came out to be a stronger leader.”
With more campuses joining the program and enthusiasm continuing to grow, the partnership between Santa Ana USD and IDEA Lab Kids is offering a clear path forward — one where STEAM education is not only fun and accessible but foundational to every student’s future.
ABOUT LYRICOS® LEARNING, LLC:
Lyricos® Learning, LLC is the home to IDEA Lab Kids and is also the creator of STEAM on Demand, a leading provider of streaming interactive content and tools for planning and leading standards-aligned, engaging, and fun TK-8 STEAM hands-on lessons.
ABOUT STEAM ON DEMAND®:
STEAM on Demand® is a technology platform that offers science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) interactive lessons “on demand” which are designed to be used in a collaborative classroom setting or online. Hundreds of interactive video lessons have been developed as part of the platform’s core content. These kid-tested videos spotlight topics that align with national and state level curriculum standards across all STEAM subjects and guide teachers and students through hands-on projects. Also included is access to a variety of coding pathways for students of all levels. The platform provides all the content and tools needed to plan and conduct entire afterschool programs.
ABOUT IDEA LAB® KIDS:
IDEA Lab® Kids was founded as a way for kids to explore their love of science, technology, engineering, art, and math subjects. The award-winning Houston-based education franchise system offers after-school classes, camps, birthday parties, open labs, and much more to children. The brand has positioned itself to be a leader in the growing STEAM education space with franchises in the U.S., Canada, and internationally. IDEA Lab Kids franchises are only offered or sold in states where they are registered or compliant with applicable franchise laws.
The franchise fee of $35,500 provides an assigned territory for establishing a location and for offering IDEA Lab On-the-Go℠ . The startup costs for an IDEA Lab Kids franchise can range from $163,000 to $465,000. To learn more about franchising with IDEA Lab Kids, visit https://1851franchise.com/lyricoslearning/info.
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