Community Based Learning

S.T.E.A.M. Hub

Community Based Learning x Fresno County Superintendent of Schools

About the Hub:

The S.T.E.A.M. Hub is a collaborative effort between Community Based Learning (CBL) and Fresno County Superintendent of Schools (FCSS), and is funded through an annual grant awarded by the California Department of Education (CDE).

It is the intent of this partnership to establish and reinforce science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics education in Expanded Learning Opportunity Programs (ELOP) throughout Fresno County and beyond.* This is done through a series of Community of Practice Workshops, where each meeting is designed for a collaborative working environment with the goal to promote collective and hands-on learning, problem solving, and practical application, as well as resource sharing among Expanded Learning Opportunity Program leaders.

*Available to districts in FCSS Region 7. You can register for workshops and CoP sessions if you work in after school or expanded learning programs in one of the following counties: Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, or Tulare

Region 7 logo

What is a Community of Practice?

A Community of Practice (CoP) is a group of people who share a common interest in, and pasion for, a topic. Community members are given a space to come together and collaborate to fulfill both individual and group goals. Communities of practice often focus on sharing ideas and experiences as well as creating new knowledge. Interaction on an ongoing basis is an integral part of CoPs as they are meant to function as an ongoing community and resource for participants.

What is the STEAM Hub CoP?

Once you are signed up to be a part of the S.T.E.A.M. Hub CoP, you will have priority registration for the workshops we provide. These workshops will cover different topics and grade levels, but they will all work toward the common goal of reinforcing science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics education in Expanded Learning Opportunity Programs (ELOP) throughout Fresno County.

Seats fill up quickly, so make sure you sign up for our CoP Mailing List to get priority registration for our upcoming workshops!

Fall 2026


Day	Date	Description	Time	Registration Link
Friday	October 23rd	The Science of Fun: Exploring STEAM Through Play-Based Learning	10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.	Register
Friday	November 13th	The “A” in STEAM: Integrating Art and Science in Early and Upper Elementary	10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
Friday	December 11th	STEAM-Powered Literacy: How Can We Support Literacy in After School?	10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.

Spring 2027


Day	Date	Description	Time
Friday	January 22nd	Making Math Real: Connecting Concepts to Real-World Scenarios for Middle School	10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
Friday	Febuary 19th	Robotics Unplugged: Activities to Teach the Fundamentals of Coding	10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
Friday	March 5th	A Piece of Cake: Demystifying Next Generation Science Standards	10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
Friday	April 9th	Think It, Build It: Adapting Engineering Design for Early Elementary	10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.

In collaboration with FCSS, Comunity Based Learning aims to:

Co-lead the STEAM Hubs' Community of Practice
Develop and coordinate STEAM Professional Development opportunities with Expanded Learning staff
Participate in meetings set by CDE Expanded Learning Division
Assist in annual planning for STEAM Hub
Expand STEAM Hub network through CBL community/professional contacts
Develop infrastructure for implementation of coding in after school programs at selected sites
Build S.T.E.A.M. capacity in Expanded Learning Programs
Build knowledge of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) to create a coherence with the instructional day
Increase the quantity and quality of S.T.E.A.M. learning opportunities to students
Build confidence and competence of staff to facilitate S.T.E.A.M. learning experiences in Expanded Learning Opportunity Programs (ELOP)

If you have any questions about the S.T.E.A.M. Hub, please email dflores@fcoe.org