Inspiring A Future Generation of Visionaries and Specialists

In the forefront of the image, a three people can be seen gathered in front of a desk. One person can be seen in the very left, looking to the right. One person stands in the center, looking towards an open laptop on the desk. Another person is maneuvering a mouse while looking at the open laptop in front of them. There is another person sitting next to the person with the laptop and they appear to be looking at their own laptop. The background setting is a classroom with numerous desks, a projector screen partially seen in the right corner, and a lit up window to the very left. In the distance, one person can be seen looking at the open laptop from further away with a sheet of paper in their hands. Two people can be seen in the very back of the room, one presumably looking at the projector screen and the other is bending over to look at something on a desk.

(PHOTO CREDIT: DANI ORLANDO)

The United States may be facing a national crisis in the near future. And the only answer to this crisis? Gen Zers.

In fact, according to Randstad, companies around the world are already experiencing a severe labor crisis. Both organizations and growing Gen Z professionals are facing a disconnect between expected skills, workplace dynamics and desire to work.

“If we don’t, at the minimum, replace everybody retiring, we lose the opportunity for innovation,” explains Dr. Darin Gray, director of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering K-12 STEM Center and instructor at USC Pre-College College Programs. “And then you start thinking about the next thing: quantum computing, advanced artificial intelligence or space exploration.”

According to Gray, without inviting the younger generation of innovators and creators into the workforce, we risk missing trailblazing ideas to benefit the nation at large.

“It’s all hands on deck,” he said. “We can’t leave anybody out. We have to recruit anybody and everybody who has an interest or an aptitude in STEM. They may not even know they have it.”

Enter LEAFS.

On February 22, the K-12 STEM Center hosted the Leading Enabling Adolescents Futures in STEM (LEAFS) program to nurture high school students’ aspirations and motivate them to join the next generation of STEAM leaders.

In the very front of a classroom setting (with a projector screen displaying instructions shown partially on the left and lit up windows with curtains to the right), we see three people sitting in front of an open laptop that appears to display coding software. The desk the laptop is placed on top of also has two sheets of paper and two pens on top. To the slight right, another table with one participant can be seen using a laptop. To the left, another desk can be seen with four participants can be partially pictured sitting around a laptop.

Participants and volunteers collaborate to design Captain America’s shield and have it 3D printed. (PHOTO CREDIT: DANI ORLANDO)

Four people can be seen gathered around a desk that is covered with papers, wires, and a circuit-making kit. One person is assembling the circuit in the kit (a green board with various rows of holes strung by red and black wires) with the support of two other people who appear to be gesturing at and rearranging pieces on the kit. Yellow, green, and black pieces are shown placed across the table. The fourth person is shown sitting at the table with a view of the back of their head, sitting on the opposite side of the three people working on the circuit kit. In the distance, to the left, a portion of a table with a small screen can be seen as well as the side of someone's head leaning towards the table.

Participants develop their circuit board with the support of K-12 STEM Center staff and The Aerospace Corporation volunteers (PHOTO CREDIT: DANI ORLANDO)

The Technical and the Interpersonal: Critical Skills For the Future

Through mini solar panels, flying drones, robots capable of creating art, and 3D-printed Captain America shields, the LEAFS event provided L.A. County high school students with numerous opportunities to delve into the world of STEM innovation. Tackling technical instructions and challenges, participants focused on lacing thin wires across circuit boards to create mini solar panels, gliding remote-controlled drones around a classroom, and coding strings of commands for artistic robots.

“We want people to get that love of STEM,” said Gray, describing how the activities at the LEAFS event aim to inspire STEM students to enjoy and utilize science and math concepts in both a technical and creative process. “It’s about being able to apply knowledge in a way that you’re not just being graded on.”

With the support of K-12 STEM Center employees and volunteers from The Aerospace Corporation, not only were participants able to exercise fundamental coding, math, and science principles, but also essential soft skills within the workforce. Wires frequently had to be replugged and strings of code rearranged, but participants did not shy away from the challenge. Nor did they shy away from supporting one another.

When one wire had to be plugged into another point of the circuit, participants tested potential new connections and shared results with one another. When a line of coding went wrong and the robot drew an unintended or erroneous shape, students laughed together before ideating on new commands. Participants strengthened their individual skills but did it as a team.

“The best part was figuring out our mistakes,” said one LEAFS participant. “We figured it out as a group, and I think that’s the best part of being an engineer.”

This sentiment was shared by another participant, Cynia Stamps, who highlighted the role of connectivity throughout the process. “Doing these activities and learning these things really helps me do the things I can do in life. You don’t know what you’re doing in the activities, but you find out along the way. That’s what’s so special. When you’re learning with other people, you get to learn and you get to meet the community.”

As such, participants developed not only new skills but also new friendships with fellow peers who aspire to enter the STEM industry. In fact, this sense of community inspired a sense of belonging that uplifted participants, empowering them to learn something new. “Community is very important in these events,” said Stamps. “Being in a class with people like me really motivates me to come out of my shell.”

Participants’ STEM Pathway Into The Future

The students explored various avenues of STEAM practices, learning fundamental skills while experiencing the different and exciting applications of science, math and engineering. Whether it was through flying the remote-controlled drone or creating art through coding commands for a robot, students were invited to exercise their creativity and develop technical skills for the future.

Armed with new skills and new experiences, participants found themselves looking forward to future aspirations and dreams.

“It’s amazing to learn different things I can use in the future,” explained one student. “It’s a great experience.”

In a classroom setting, in front of four chairs with attached desks, two people are shown standing behind one chair with an attached desk and a partially shown bright orange cone. One person appears to be controlling a drone (black, with small wings and legs to land with) that is mid-flight in front of them. Next to them stands another person who appears to be watching the drone in the air.

Participants practice flying the remote-controlled drones with the support of K-12 STEM Center staff and The Aerospace Corporation volunteers. (PHOTO CREDIT: DANI ORLANDO)

This sentiment was shared by another participant, who feels that their experiences at LEAFS will also assist with their academic endeavors. “Just learning about these things can take me a long way to college. Since I have a familiar idea of what this is, I’ll know how to do it when the time comes.”

Additionally, connecting with STEAM professionals and students gave participants crucial insight into future pathways they can pursue.

“I think they’re learning some very important skills for the future. It also allows them to visit universities and get an idea of where they want to apply in the future. It’s helpful for them to meet college students and professionals,” shared one of the student’s guardians. “It helps them understand what their college and job can look like.”

Participants left the LEAFS event not only with a new array of skills, but also with the newfound aspirations that can contribute to the workforce, and, by extension, the United States overall.

The Center’s Persevering Mission to Spread STEAM Education

The USC Viterbi K-12 STEM Center has bolstered STEM education while expanding pathways for students seeking to enter the workforce for nearly five decades. The center has served almost 20,000 students, ranging from elementary through high school, through educational programs, networking events, and partnerships with academic institutions throughout Southern California.

Connecting with STEAM professionals and organizations, the center has created opportunities for students to attend annual CS@SC Coding Camps and the Career Path STEM Club for exposure to a range of STEM principles. The center partners with STEAM organizations and educators for students to explore robotics, artificial intelligence, environmental engineering and coding amongst numerous other technical fields.

“We are making sure that our students are able to see themselves in STEM,” Gray said. “We need to make sure that everybody who wants to participate in the STEM area, as a researcher, employer, worker, or be STEM literate, can do so.”

Published on April 3rd, 2025

Last updated on April 3rd, 2025

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