While parents and caretakers shop at the Resource Center during a scheduled visit, children have access to the Inspiring Minds Center, a designated space connected to our Resource Center that provides access to STEM-based activities, software and games.

Our Inspiring Minds Center includes a computer lab, reading corner, 3D printers, robots and STEM-based educational games focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The Center is a safe and comforting environment; our goal is to assist in closing the academic achievement gap for Colorado’s most vulnerable children.

A Precious Child also provides access to STEM-based activities through our Resource Center and local school partners with take-home STEM Kits. Inspiring Minds STEM Kits include: age/grade appropriate STEM activities, resources for free STEM-based educational websites, information regarding free or discounted rates to local children and science museums, parent/children STEM-based activity books and children’s books on STEM-based occupations. Inspiring Minds STEM Kits are available in both English and Spanish.

All youth should be prepared to think deeply and to think well so that they have the chance to become the innovators, educators, researchers and leaders who can solve the most pressing challenges facing our nation and our world, both today and tomorrow. Unfortunately, not enough of our youth have access to quality STEM-based learning opportunities.

Enrichment experiences matter because they help children acquire the vocabulary and background knowledge critical to achieving the high levels of literacy needed for many kinds of well-paying work.

In the US, we know that low-income children who do not participate in enrichment activities during the summer lose reading and math skills at a faster rate than their peers, and they never catch-up.