STEM Alliance details Co‑op summer program: enrollment, hires and financing

Margaret Koyper, president of the STEM Alliance, told the Mamaroneck Board of Education that the Co‑op summer program aims to "create equal access to quality summer programming," and that the initiative combines academic work with mentorship and civic engagement.

Koyper described three program strands: a five‑week elementary program for grades 1–5, a middle‑school program that reached about 41 children this year, and a RISE leadership program for rising 7th–8th graders. "Students explore STEM content, build new friendships, and meet peer role models through the Co‑op program," Koyper said, noting that students often express a desire to return as counselors or RISE participants.

Educator Carrie Daley Fernandez, who teaches at Mamaroneck Avenue School and serves on Co‑op’s leadership team, described project‑based STEM majors, three reading nooks to support early literacy and targeted help for English‑language learners. She summarized parent feedback: "Roughly 99% of our parents stated that they value STEM learning," and roughly 89% said they would enroll their child again.

On staffing and hiring, Koyper said the program hired 29 Mamaroneck High School alumni or current students this year and has hired over 120 people in eight years, which the Alliance presents as part of its near‑peer mentorship model. Koyper added that counselors and RISE students lead many of the learning and mentoring interactions that support campers’ growth.

Koyper also provided a brief financial snapshot: the Alliance described primary expenses as salary‑driven and said roughly 45% of revenue came from contributed (philanthropic) revenue, the Co‑op contract covered about 43% of program costs, and a portion of those contract funds pass through the district budget (the Alliance noted a 37% commitment figure in its discussion of the MUFSD contribution). The program uses a sliding tuition scale and philanthropy so that "nobody has ever been turned away from attending the program."

Koyper emphasized community partnerships and civic learning: field trips included visits to the village police department, and volunteers worked with the Larchmont–Mamaroneck Hunger Task Force. Board members asked about Larchmont student participation and whether the village contributes funding; Koyper said participation from the village is low and that the Alliance has requested support in the past.

Board members also pressed for operational detail: the Alliance said there are six STEM major teachers plus additional staff in the math cave and reading nooks, leadership and family‑support roles, and substitute educators available. On school–camp communication, Koyper said the program does not maintain a daily case‑by‑case reporting line to classroom teachers but does coordinate on specific cases and invites pre‑camp input from teachers to help prepare supports.

The presentation concluded with an invitation for continued partnership and an acknowledgement that the program leverages district, town and village support and fundraising to sustain access.

The board did not take a separate vote on Co‑op funding during the presentation; questions and answers continued before the meeting moved on to other agenda items.