La Fuerza STEM is an initiative by Literacy Partners in collaboration with the National Science Foundation, Univision, and the Education Development Center. Through an educational telenovela, community events, and parent workshops, we empower Latino families with children ages 0 to 8, making science fun and culturally relevant.
Today, only 7% of the STEM workforce is Latino. We want to change that by creating a space where families can learn and dream together, providing parents and children with the tools to grow with confidence and greater opportunities.
Hacemos Ciencias family engagement workshops are designed to empower parents and caregivers by supporting them in integrating STEM into their children’s daily lives in a fun and accessible way.
Through excerpts from Telenovelas, educational strategies are taught that celebrate the culture and language of families, creating moments of connection and strengthening family bonds.
Of parents implement what they learn with their families. They increase their confidence as their child's first teacher.
Say they implement what they learn with their families and increase their confidence as their child's first teacher
We surveyed over 500 parents, and the results are clear—our workshops boost their confidence as their children’s first teachers, using culture to spark a love for science at home. Parents shared that they feel more aware of science in daily life, more empowered to teach it, and more connected as a family. Through curiosity, wonder, observation, and experimentation, families are discovering that science isn’t just in textbooks—it’s in their everyday experiences, traditions, and the questions their children ask.
Join the Carrasco family as they face challenges, secrets and complex relationships. United by love, they discover that science is in everyday moments. This emotional drama combines love and curiosity, inspiring them to value family and knowledge.
Host a party! Families and partners from all over the country are coming together to enjoy the telenovela and chat about how science is a part of our everyday culture. Gather your community and share what it means to be part of #SomosLatinos and #HacemosCiencia. Check out the episodes and guides below!
Santa returns to his father Antonio’s house to host the annual dinner in honor of his late mother, Dulce. As he helps out at the family restaurant, he notices Antonio speaking to a tree that Dulce had planted.
The sisters confront Antonio, and he confesses that he’s been struggling to manage the restaurant’s finances since Dulce was the one in charge. Santa creates a new menu for the cafeteria to give it a fresh, modern twist.
The daughters nostalgically remember their mother Dulce and the lessons she shared with them. Antonio sits down with Marta, the accountant, to figure out a way to solve the cafeteria’s financial struggles. While they’re at it, they find recipes written by Dulce tucked away in a cupboard.
The surprise discovery of the recipe book sparks an epiphany in Santa, and he suggests to his father that they revamp the menu once again. Antonio resists at first but eventually agrees. Then, a health inspector arrives and forces them to close the restaurant for seven days.
Francisco comes back with money from Dulce’s recipe book, enough to save the restaurant from bankruptcy, pay off Antonio’s debts, and prevent the sale. The restaurant becomes a huge success, and the family grows closer than ever.
This project Is funded by the National Science Foundation under Grant #2115621. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Sclence Foundation.
