Juddy Montenegro is the interim assistant to the city manager. She can be reached at  jmontenegro@downeyca.org or 562-904-7284.

Downey, a city of 113,000, has become a driving force behind Greater Los Angeles’ largest STEM initiative. Launched in 2015, the City of STEM inspires thousands of kids of all ages every day in April to create, experiment, explore, and have fun.

“The City of STEM is more than just an event; it’s a movement,” said Downey Mayor Claudia M. Frometa. “It unites the incredible diversity of our region while igniting curiosity and empowering people of all ages to explore a future in innovation.” 

City of STEM began as a local initiative by the Columbia Memorial Space Center, designed to celebrate Downey’s deep aerospace roots and inspire the next generation of innovators.

Data from the California Department of Education shows a significant gap between the state’s science standards and how many students in the region are receiving engaging, hands-on science classroom instruction. Studies also show that after-school and out-of-school STEM opportunities are unevenly distributed and often less available to working-class families.

Located just south of downtown LA, the Space Center doubles as both a museum and a hands-on learning center. (It was also where NASA once designed and built its Apollo spacecraft and space shuttles!) The Space Center includes LA’s only public robotics lab and a one-of-a-kind space mission simulator.

The city of Downey manages the Space Center, providing operations and staff support. A private foundation, the Columbia Memorial Space Science Learning Center Foundation, provides funding assistance for the Space Center’s programs, including City of STEM.

Inspiring the next generation

With the support of over 200 educators, science-focused organizations, innovators, and special guests such as Bill Nye the Science Guy and NASA Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, City of STEM is now a series of community events and after-school programs that culminate in a spectacular one-day festival.

The program targets youth traditionally underrepresented in STEM learning, bringing providers to them to create dialogues and raise awareness about related careers and activities. With activities throughout LA, this results in a network of opportunities for underrepresented youth, from pre-K through early career.

Some interactive programs include building and launching rockets, robotics demonstrations, and hands-on stations where participants tackle specific engineering problems, such as constructing miniature rollercoasters.

The City of STEM has reached thousands of children and families throughout the years. Last April, approximately 30,000 youths and families attended just the festival. TV and broadcast coverage reached 1.5 million households; digital impressions totaled 1.6 million.

“The City of STEM is where LA’s diverse communities unite, showcasing our region’s vital role in STEM,” said Benjamin Dickow, the Space Center’s president and executive director. “Our mission is to make STEM education and innovation accessible to all, from the heart of our city to its most distant corners.”

Since 2015, City of STEM has grown exponentially thanks to the hard work and collaboration of many organizations and leaders across Greater LA. But City of STEM has become more than an annual event: It’s a movement, network, and field in itself, with the Space Center in the middle.

The City of Downey received the 2025 Helen Putnam Award of Excellence in the Community Services and Economic Development category. For more information about the award program, visit calcities.org/helen-putnam-award-for-excellence.