STEAM Star transforms industry professionals into “influencers,” who show students how ordinary STEAM concepts are used in extraordinary ways in the world’s coolest jobs.

STEAM Star is a groundbreaking short-form, premium content series. Each lesson begins with a TikTok style video featuring a star with a dream job. This is followed by hands-on, standards-aligned exercises inspired by the star’s work.

The Grant Imahara STEAM Foundation has made this pay-level content available for free to democratize STEAM education, establish mentorship, and inspire the next generation of K-12 students.

WHY INFLUENCERS?

Influencers have the proven ability to engage hard-to-reach populations in today’s evolving media landscape.³ Their words inspire intimacy and connection, commanding nearly as much trust as family and friends. Compared to traditional content, influencer content is rated:¹

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More emotional connection

More relevant

More trustworthy

More likely to motivate action

REACHING MARGINALIZED YOUTH

To educate historically marginalized youth about career opportunities, STEAM Star spotlights diverse professionals and the unconventional career paths that lead them to the most fascinating STEAM jobs on the planet.

Only 25% of the STEM workforce is Hispanic or Latino, Black or African, or American Indian or Alaska Native ²

Only 35% of the STEM workforce is female ²

LESSONS

  • Xyla Foxlin

    ENGINEER & YOUTUBE CREATOR — @xylafoxlin

    Design, Engineering, Physics (Grades 7-12)
    Engineering is for everyone! Discover the inclusive power of art-driven design in this twist on bottle rockets from YouTube creator Xyla Foxlin! 🚀🛠️ Design the wild, whacky, whimsical rocket of your dreams. Then work backwards, using engineering to bring your dream to life and it skyward.

  • Kenneth Calhoun

    SPECIAL EFFECTS MAKEUP ARTIST — Avengers, Jurassic World, Captain Marvel, The Mandalorian

    Chemistry, Chemical Engineering (Grades 6-10)
    Special Effects Makeup artist Kenneth Calhoun is the creator behind your favorite cute and creepy on-screen charactersl! 🎨✨ Use chemistry to create your own inclusive, sustainable makeup FX products that cater to all skin tones and skin sensitivities.

  • Aly Moore

    INSECT INDUSTRY ACTIVIST & CONTENT CREATOR — @bugible

    Insect Agriculture (Grades 6-12)
    Aly Moore is building sustainable food systems powered by insects! 🐛🚜 Construct your own mealworm farm to discover how insects can recycle nutrients, improve soil and animal health, and create sustainable farming processes.

  • Kari Byron

    TV HOST — MythBusters, Crash Test World

    Scientific Method, Science Communication (Grades 6-8)
    Discover the art of the scientific method from MythBuster Kari Byron! 🎨👩‍🔬 Conduct a stress management experiment on your own body, then apply storytelling to share your results in an engaging, accessible way.

  • Psy DeLacy

    CROWDS TECHNICAL DIRECTOR — Pixar

    Anatomy, Physiology (Grades 10-12)
    Pixar's Psy DeLacy creates breathtaking crowds of characters, from the city dwellers of Incredibles 2 to the schools of fish in Luca! 🦸🐠 Discover how Psy uses movement to make realistic and inclusive crowds, then use those ideas to design a real-world mobility aid.

  • Lee Towersey

    CREATURE EFFECTS ARTIST — Lucasfilm

    Circuits, Energy Transfer (Grades 4-5)
    Dive into circuits with Lucasfilm’s Lee Towersey: the guy who builds REAL droids for Star Wars! ⚡🤖 From your phone to your astromech, discover how the Right to Repair movement paves the way for a sustainable future by giving new life to old devices.

  • Dev Tesch

    VIDEO GAME ACCESSIBILITY TESTER — Zynga, Echtra

    Nervous System (Grades 9-12)
    As an accessibility tester for Zynga and Echtra Games, Dev Tesch is making gaming more inclusive! 🕹️🦾 Discover how your nervous system processes information, and come up with ideas to make your favorite video games accessible to more players.

  • Lauren Schulze

    MATERIAL DESIGNER — Nike, Jordan Brand

    Design, Engineering, Material Science (Grades 6-12)
    Nike Material Designer Lauren Schulze combines science, tech, art, and engineering to create sustainable high-performance footwear that benefits the wearer and the planet! 👟🌎 Dissect a shoe to discover its inner workings, then use material science to design and build the shoe of your dreams.

  • Dr. Owais Durrani

    EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN & TV MEDICAL CONSULTANT — CNN, BBC, CBS

    Body Systems, Health Literacy, Information Literacy (Grades 6-8)
    Emergency medicine physician and TV consultant Dr. Owais Durrani is dedicated to promoting health equity! 🎥🩺 Learn how to keep your family safe and healthy by navigating the healthcare system and avoiding medical misinformation.

  • Dr. Erin Macdonald

    ASTROPHYSICIST & SCIENCE ADVISOR — Star Trek

    Astrophysics, Astrobiology (Grades 9-12)
    Astrophysicist and Star Trek Science Advisor Dr. Erin Macdonald promotes cutting-edge science on TV and on Earth! 🖖🛰️ Learn how to search for alien life, then design a vehicle to carry humans to the final frontier.

  • Fon Davis

    MODEL MAKER — Guardians of the Galaxy, Nightmare Before Christmas, & the Star Wars, Star Trek, Jurassic Park, Matrix, Terminator, and Transformers series

    3D Printing, Digital Modeling, Coordinate Systems (Grades 6-8)
    Model maker @fonhdavis creates movie magic! 👽🦖 Discover how to turn your own dreams into physical objects through the power of digital modeling and 3D printing… while preventing waste AND saving energy.

  • Tamara Robertson

    WARDROBE DESIGNER & CHEMICAL ENGINEER — Science Channel, Lemonade (Beyonce)

    Textile Design, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering (Grades 7-8)
    Chemical engineer and wardrobe designer Tamara Robertson creates sustainable outfits for videos like Beyonce's Lemonade! 🧪🧥 Give new life to old plastics by upcycling bottles and bags into your own brand new fashion items.