“What is your vision, for what (STEM) is?” asks Anthony Quan.

And when he hears school leaders’ answers, he’s going to alert them to additional, and imaginative, new possibilities.

Anthony, who is both the STEM Coordinator and the STEM Science Coordinator for the Los Angeles County Office of Education, Division of Curriculum and Instructional Services, draws on his background as a marine biologist and an award-winning middle school science teacher, to engage students’ imagination as they learn science, technology, engineering and math.

And these lessons are being applied, both to the world they know and to their possible future careers.

“It’s all about innovation and creativity,” he explains.

In addition to his work implementing STEM and STEAM initiatives for schools throughout Los Angeles County, Anthony supports several student events. These include the Los Angeles County Science and Engineering Fair and the Southern California Science Olympiad.

He is also the founder of the Los Angeles County Engaging Girls in STEM: a program designed to show girls the possibilities of future careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

Anthony talked about his background, shared the story of Engaging Girls in STEM and offered a closer look at the numerous resources available to students and educators through LACOE.

On this edition of Over Coffee®we cover:

• How Anthony first discovered his passion for science;

• His creative journey, from a background in marine biology to his career in education;

• The story of the Engaging Girls in STEM program;

• One of Anthony’s favorite memories for the first Engaging Girls in STEM event;

• A look back at this year’s Engaging Girls in STEM event;

• An examination of some of the STEM resources which L.A. County Office of Education offers, and what they can mean to girls who are more oriented towards the arts;

• One resource which he shares with teachers, for exploring STEM from an “arts” standpoint;

• A hint of an upcoming project which will incorporate the arts into STEM (more information to come, as we know more!);

• Some additional approaches to teaching science through a STEAM lens;

• An AR resource that’s making a long-beloved environmental character relatable to the next generation;

• A closer look at AI in the classroom, and the ethics involved;

• What Anthony considers the most fun, in engaging girls through science, technology, engineering, art and math;

• Some of the concepts Anthony used to engage his own students, during his time as a middle-school teacher;

• What Next Generation Science Standards are, and how they came about;

• How Anthony’s perspective on curriculum has changed, from observing his daughter and students learning;

• The technologies he considers most exciting, for empowering girls for future careers;

• An activity through which he guides teachers, to teach engagement;

• A more arts-oriented look at math;

• Some of the resources available for students for Summer, 2024;

• What Anthony would like to do with Engaging Girls in STEM within the next five years (hint: this would be a lot of fun!).