Andres Bustamante Awarded $500,000 grant for innovative STEM learning project 

By Carol Jean Tomoguchi-Perez
March 27, 2024

Andres Bustamante, assistant professor and STEM education researcher, has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation for his project "Co-designing AI Assisted Family Math and Science Learning in Health Care Environments." Professor June Ahn is co-PI on the two-year project, which will begin in April 2024.

The project aims to design early learning activities related to STEM and health for waiting rooms at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, which will involve designing physical installations as well as a digital application that families can use to engage in playful learning. The project intends to create a learning environment that is engaging and accessible for families from diverse backgrounds.

Andres Bustamante

The project is innovative in its use of AI-assisted learning, which will be designed to personalize the experience by creating a learning plan for each family based on their child's interests and strengths. This will enable the families to engage in STEM learning in a way that is tailored to their individual needs.

By bringing STEM learning into a healthcare environment, the project also has the potential to promote health literacy and improve family health outcomes. The Heising-Simons Foundation is known for supporting innovative and impactful projects in STEM education and early childhood development.