For the Assistance League of Tulsa, supporting students has always meant meeting educators where they are, with practical, meaningful tools that make learning come alive. Over the past five years, that commitment has taken shape through their growing collaboration with Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance and its STEM in a Bag program.

What began as volunteer support for assembling kits has evolved into a large-scale classroom distribution effort that now reaches thousands of students each year. In 2025 alone, Assistance League volunteers distributed 13,246 STEM in a Bag kits, reaching 6,325 students across Tulsa-area classrooms.

“I spent 20 years teaching fourth grade, so education is very close to my heart,” said Nancy Sacra, Chairman of the Assistance League’s STEM Committee. “I love programs that are both fun and teachable—where kids are excited, engaged, and learning without even realizing how much they’re learning.”

Classroom-Ready STEM, Made Easy

STEM in a Bag is designed to make hands-on STEM experiences accessible and fun. Each kit includes all the materials and instructions needed to complete a standards-aligned activity with no extra cost, preparation, or supplies required. Optional extensions like books, videos, and career connections allow teachers to deepen learning when time allows.

“The kits are organized and ready to go,” Sacra explained. “Teachers can pull them out and use them right away. It gives them a different, fun way to reinforce their curriculum—especially on a Friday afternoon when it’s okay to loosen the reins a bit and let kids explore together.”

Kits are built around familiar themes like Pi Day and Space Week, making them easy to integrate into existing lessons. Teachers consistently share positive feedback, noting how excited students are to receive the kits and work through the challenges together.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Sacra said. “The kids love them. They’re excited to get started, and teachers tell us how much they appreciate having something that’s already thought through.”

A Collaborative Model for Impact

While Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance develops the curriculum and ensures activities align with educational standards and inclusive learning practices, the Assistance League of Tulsa plays a critical role in bringing the program directly into classrooms. Volunteers help source materials, assemble kits, and coordinate delivery to schools so that educators have what they need, when they need it.

Much of that success is driven by the Assistance League’s dedicated STEM committee. For many volunteers, STEM in a Bag offers a meaningful way to stay actively involved—regardless of physical limitations—while contributing to something tangible and student-centered. It is this willing, passionate committee that has made the program not only possible but successful year after year.

“Our volunteers really value seeing the impact of their work,” Sacra shared. “When we deliver kits to classrooms, we get to hear directly from teachers and students about how they’re using them.”

Looking back on a year that saw over 13,000 kits delivered to classrooms, Sacra is proud not only of the scale but of what the work represents.

“This has been a new and unique program for the Assistance League,” she said. “Seeing it grow and knowing how many students it’s reached has been incredibly rewarding.”

Together, Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance and the Assistance League of Tulsa are demonstrating what’s possible when organizations work collaboratively by combining curriculum expertise, volunteer power, and shared commitment to ensure more students have access to engaging, hands-on STEM learning experiences.