College professor has a new PBS Kids show that makes STEM fun
PHILADELPHIA >> “Work It Out Wombats!,” a new animated series for kids 3 to 6, premieres this week on PBS Kids. The stars of the show are marsupial siblings Malik, Zadie and Zeke, who take their young audiences on a parade of adventures, tackling challenges, problem-solving and seeking creative solutions — all while having fun.
The adults who got federal and major funding for the series call all that computational thinking that is key to the STEM disciplines and which Wombats artfully lays the foundation to explore.
The trio's Treeborhood is a diverse place, where their friends are many different kinds of animals. They sometimes speak different languages and have varied customs, but all share the same adventurous world.
That's all right up Kareem Edouard's alley. The assistant professor in Drexel University's School of Education researches the intersectionality of race, culture and STEM engagement for students of color. He and his wife, Darlene Mortel Edouard, head of the Ole Greens Group, a media consulting organization, are co-creative producers of the new show. Kareem Edouard is a consultant with Ole Greens Group.
The couple has guided the show's culturally inclusive content and spirit. Their 5-year-old daughter was their resident expert and at-home test audience.
Kareem Edouard's goal is to motivate Black and brown students to be active in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“The design of the show is really providing a creative approach to look at STEM, but particularly computational thinking and ideas,” Edouard said.
“Computational thinking really is about problem-solving, and engaging in problem-solving is using computer science principles. Those can be complicated on the surface. But thinking about patterns and how to solve problems using patterns are very common ideas. What we do on the show is create creative fun opportunities for young people to see our primary characters, Malik, Zadie and Zeke, try to be change-makers and solve issues that are in the Treeborhood. Fun is really the heart of the show.”
“My experiences connect to my research. I was finding that Black and brown children were not being exposed to STEM professionals and STEM careers in their early ages. When I was a kindergarten-to-first grade teacher, I taught in South Los Angeles. A lot of the curriculum design didn't provide STEM activities. So I would bring in my iPad, and other tech devices into my classrooms, and I would welcome my students to engage in learning games and learning opportunities and start to create art and animations.”