The boards education-highlight segment on Friday featured the University of Utahs STEM Community Alliance (STEM CAP), which brings science and arts workshops to justice-impacted youth in youth custody centers. The program has offered hundreds of workshops over eight years, presenters said, and partners with institutions including Tracy Aviary, NASA, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and the NBA Foundation for career and college readiness programming.

Andy Eisen, director of prison education at the University of Utah, said STEM CAP provides short-course science and arts experiences and, in some cases, multi-week pathways such as a 16-session Python programming sequence that led to internships. "Our goal is to spark curiosity, increase confidence and expose young people to college and career pathways," Eisen said.

Molly Hosmer Dillard, STEM CAP art manager, described collaborative art projects, peer exhibitions and professional gallery exposure for participants; she highlighted a collaborative portrait of the artist Jelly Roll created by seven participants and displayed at UMOCA and other exhibitions. Hosmer Dillard said staff are exploring ways to compensate youth artists and to create entrepreneurial opportunities such as laser-cut product lines with local partners.

Board member questions focused on sustainability and whether the program had active contact with featured subjects (the Jelly Roll artists had tried to contact the performer), and a request to clarify that the contract covering STEM CAP with USBE is on the consent calendar for renewal. Kelsey James, USBE communications coordinator, said the current contract expires at the end of the fiscal year and staff plan to bring a renewal to the consent calendar; Deputy Superintendent Scott Jones confirmed staff will ask the board to renew the contract at the upcoming consent calendar.

STEM CAP staff asked the board for continued support for the programs contract extension; deputy staff said the renewal would appear on an upcoming consent calendar. Several board members praised the programs partnerships and the ways arts and science projects were used to teach college and career skills.

Speakers emphasized that STEM CAP activities are aimed at sparking curiosity and building trust; the art manager said in some cases youth artwork has been exhibited at Harvard and other institutions. The board will consider renewal of the contract at a future consent calendar, presenters said.