Child Creativity Lab

Katy McInnes

on behalf of Child Creativity Lab
Some words from Katy
K

I love Child Creativity Lab because I needed this program so badly. To say I struggled in school would be putting it mildly. I had difficulty with reading, math, history, and science; I had mental and physical health challenges that made focusing the classroom impossible; and worst of all, every "failure" in the classroom stuck with me. I began to tell myself stories of what I could or couldn't accomplish. Thanks to a teacher who took a shine to me, I was able to see what I was truly capable of. It only takes one experience of confidence to change a child's life.

What we do at Child Creativity Lab is show students what they are truly capable of and give them a win in the classroom. It doesn't matter if a child is struggling academically. Due to the nature of our curriculum--open ended, project-based, and grounded in collaboration--we are able to meet students where they are. We are able to open the door in their beliefs to let light in. Every program, we end with affirmations and students of all ages proudly yell, I am confident, I am creative, I can do anything.

Please donate to our fundraiser today and help kids just like me. Every dollar raised will go to supporting a local Title I school in Garden Grove, where we will provide hands-on experiences to build confidence, creativity, and resilience.

$1,000
Goal
$0
Raised
0
Donors
0%
Funded
SUGGESTED DONATION
$50
GLUE GOODER: Provides glue guns and glue dots for one classroom workshop
$100
KIT & CABOODLE: Provides STEAM Challenge Kits for one whole classroom
$250
CLASS CAPTAIN: Sponsor a STEAM workshop for an entire class
$500
PEOPLE POWER: Provide staff development & curriculum support for educators
CHOOSE YOUR OWN AMOUNT
Child Creativity Lab Story

About Child Creativity Lab

Every child has unlimited potential. At Child Creativity Lab, we spark creativity, enthusiasm, and curiosity in students through hands-on STEAM education. Central to our mission is that children are inherently creative and need the opportunity to show what they are truly capable of. While Orange County is trending upward in education, the inequality between zip codes is immense. We are dedicated to changing this difference in access and opportunity through creativity-enhancing programs.
Most of all, we believe students need to develop a love for learning to carry on successfully in their academic careers despite adverse circumstances. 100% of teachers surveyed reported Child Creativity Lab made learning fun for students and 97% of teachers saw that students’ enthusiasm for STEAM/STEM improved. After our programs, 63% of students stated they were interested in having a STEAM job when they grow up, up from only 42% before experiencing our programs.
“We want our students to feel prepared to go into the workforce, but our curriculums aren’t doing that. We work with a 99% marginalized student population, and our students need to feel like ‘Yes I can do this, I am brilliant,’ and Child Creativity Lab does that for our students.” – Assistant Principal, Santa Ana Unified School District
In 2025:
  • We inspired 40,152 youth in 746 programs
  • We empowered 1,080 educators in professional development programs
  • We connected 703 family members in 16 Family STEAM Nights
  • We distributed 25,283 STEAM kits, saving 14,485 pounds of trash from local landfills
The work continues. In 2026, we are receiving more requests than ever to support schools’ academic goals for their students—seeing our curriculum as vital to building students’ skills.
Please join us in helping us to support children who need access and opportunity the most. Your donation today will provide a scholarship to a student to receive our program and open a door to lifetime opportunities.
Violette Elementary is a Title I school in Garden Grove, where approximately 90% of students are identified as socioeconomically disadvantaged. In 2025-26, only 12% of the fifth-grade students met or exceeded state standards in science. These data points highlight both the challenges students face and the tremendous opportunity we have to provide meaningful, engaging experiences that expand their learning beyond the classroom.
Like many public schools, Violette continues to navigate ongoing budget constraints, with available resources prioritized toward students’ essential academic and social-emotional needs. For many of their families, limited financial resources also make it difficult to access enrichment opportunities outside of school. As a result, experiences that nurture creativity, build confidence, and inspire curiosity are not always readily accessible.
Child Creativity Lab provides an important opportunity to help bridge this gap.
When students have access to high-quality, hands-on STEAM experiences, they are able to explore, create, collaborate, and develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills in an engaging, low-stakes environment. These experiences provide children with opportunities to take risks, learn from mistakes, and discover that they are capable of solving complex challenges: skills they can carry with them throughout their academic journeys and beyond.
With your support, we can bring meaningful, hands-on STEAM programming to the Violette Elementary community and ensure that children have opportunities to imagine, create, and discover their potential. Together, we can build students’ self-confidence, resilience, enthusiasm for learning, and understanding of STEM while helping them see themselves as capable creators, problem-solvers, and innovators.
Your investment in Violette students is an investment in their future and in the possibilities they can create!