What I like about OWL is how my teachers help me to learn to program code, which will help me in the future. I like the hands-on experiences where I get to choose my own project to show what I’ve learned, so I coded a program where a girl brings her dog to a river and they swim across it. Another thing is that I learn a new thing every day while doing my favorite hobby. -Ashley, OWL Student
Accomplished link
OWL’s holistic, technology-focused programming decreases the achievement gap and addresses the need for more STEM education and access to technology in the Denver metro area, where many of OWL’s students have limited access to computers at school or at home. Compared to their non-OWL peers, OWL students on average receive 600% more computer lab time, show improved attendance and higher standardized test scores than their non-OWL peers. As students progress through OWL, earning a laptop, parents develop a positive relationship to their children’s schools and education, wanting their childen to attend college.
Corporate support enables the company to observe OWL students in action, share employee volunteers, host a career panel, meet with site sponsors, OWL board members, and enjoy company recognition opportunities. For the after-school program, one school sponsorship costs $40,000 or $1,000 per student. For the summer program, the cost per student is $1,200. OWL offers corporate sponsorship packages ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 with various volunteer, recognition, speaking and promotional opportunities, tickets to events, site-sponsorship and more.
Funders and PartnersHarvey Family Foundation, Denver’s Office of Children’s Affairs, Mile High United Way, Gates Family Foundation, The Anschutz Foundation, Daniels Fund, Helen K. & Arthur E. Johnson Foundation, Rose Community Foundation, EcoMedia, IHS Markit, Comcast, Deloitte, Denver Public Schools, Jeffco Public Schools.
The programs in this database clear a high bar. STEMworks reviewed each program against the Design Principles for Effective STEM Philanthropy.
Identify and target a compelling and well-defined need.
Use rigorous evaluation to continuously measure and inform progress towards the compelling need identified.
Ensure work is sustainable.
Demonstrate replicability and scalability.
Create high impact partnerships
Ensure organizational capacity to achieve goals.
Offer challenging and relevant STEM content for the target audience
Incorporate and encourage STEM practices.
Inspire interest and engagement in STEM.
Identify and address the needs of under-represented groups.