Wave Wire Services
COMPTON — The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation hosted its annual STEM Field Day May 4, bringing more than 500 students and Dodgers Dreamteam participants to Gonzales Park for hands-on science activities tied to baseball and softball.
The event was held at the park’s Dodgers Dreamfields complex, a multi-field site honoring the legacy of Jackie Robinson and his family.
Students from the Los Angeles, Pasadena, Hawthorne and Inglewood school districts rotated through interactive stations designed to demonstrate real-world applications of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), according to organizers.
Activities included calculating strike zone geometry, studying wind resistance while running the bases and examining sustainability practices at a baseball field. Participants also used an outdoor classroom and interactive STEM wall unique to the Gonzales Park site.
“This event serves as a platform to showcase the profound connections between STEM and baseball and softball,” organizers said in a statement.
The curriculum, developed in partnership with Science of Sport, is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards and is taught by trained educators prior to the field day.
Officials said more than 500 teachers have been trained since 2018, reaching over 100,000 youth through the program. The field day serves as a culminating experience to reinforce classroom lessons through hands-on learning.
Members of the Dodgers’ performance science team worked alongside teachers in leading activities and introducing students to STEM-related career paths in sports.
Speakers include Dream Foundation Chief Operating Officer Chaitali Gala Mehta and Science of Sport Executive Director Daren Heaton.
Officials said the foundation has reached millions of young people through programs focused on education, health and community development.
