The council approved the contract with Aurora-based APS Training Academy, which has run the program for the past three years. The contract approved on Tuesday night is for three years, with two, one-year options after that.
Hayden Malloy, an eighth-grader at Fred Rodgers Magnet School in the East Aurora School District, said being involved in the programs has inspired her to consider engineering as a field of study. After a year in the program, she volunteered to also be a helper.Lesha Saxon said her two daughters have been involved in the programs.The STEAM program began three years ago as a pilot program in the 2nd and 7th wards.
The program began as a public-private partnership between the city of Aurora, Elmhurst-based TinkRworks and Aurora’s APS Training Academy. It delivers science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, or STEAM, services to underserved youth in the city. City officials have said the city sent out requests for proposals for this year’s program, and got back seven responses. Four of the respondents did not meet the curriculum the city wanted, and two of the others were not in Aurora, so they did not have Aurora facilities, officials said.