STEM Alliance reports strong summer outcomes and asks board for earlier contract to expand to full day

Meg Kofer, a leader of the STEM Alliance, told the Mamaroneck Board of Education on Monday that the co‑op summer program produced “very strong” results and asked the board to approve a contract timeline that would allow the group to advertise in January for a full‑day expansion.

The presentation summarized three program components — an elementary co‑op for rising grades 1–5, the Mosaic Innovation Camp for grades 6–8, and RISE leadership training for rising 7th and 8th graders — and included outcome data the Alliance collected with district help. “Ninety percent of our co‑op campers say attending the program helps them be a better student,” Kofer said. She reported a 91 percent attendance rate and that 83 percent of students who attended co‑op held or improved their reading scores when the Alliance compared participants to a peer control group.

Alex, who leads the Aquatics program, said the swim component produced measurable gains: “Overall, we had a 21 percent [share of campers] make swim gains, with 10 percent becoming independent swimmers and 11 percent improving toward that goal,” he said. Alex also reported that returning campers were more likely to reach independence by the end of camp.

Andrew Brown, director of the Mosaic middle‑school pilot, described career‑focused weeks that included trips to financial and medical partners. He said the Mosaic pilot exposed students to practical career pathways and public‑facing skills such as podcasting, lights and sound production, and hands‑on medical demonstrations.

Meg summarized the program’s financing: the group covers costs through a mix of family tuition (on a sliding scale), philanthropic support and district contract revenue; transportation and staff salaries are the largest expenses. She said the Alliance needs the district contract finalized “by the end of this year” so the program can begin promotion in January and move from a half‑day pilot toward a full‑day model families have requested.

Board members asked questions about access and equity; Kofer noted the program’s demographics and supports: 38 percent of participants were English language learners, and the Alliance runs scholarship slots to ensure participation for families with financial need. The presentation closed with the Alliance asking the board to consider an earlier contracting timeline so planning and recruitment can begin in January.

The board took no formal vote on the presentation itself; the Alliance said it will pursue contract discussions with district staff.