Schools
Girls Athletic Leadership School Los Angeles (GALS LA) Expands STEM Learning with Wildfire Simulation Lab
GALS LA's new lab will enhance its rigorous, college-preparatory curriculum in partnership with the Toshiba America Foundation.
Girls Athletic Leadership School Los Angeles (GALS LA), the first free, all-girls public middle school in Los Angeles, has launched a new Wildfire Simulation Lab thanks to a $3,300 grant from the Toshiba America Foundation (TAF).
Based in Van Nuys, GALS LA's new lab will give middle school students hands-on opportunities to study the connections between wildfires, water systems and climate change.
Through experiments such as wildfire spread simulations, drought mitigation models and water testing, GALS LA girls will learn how environmental science links to real-life challenges in Los Angeles and share their own conservation proposals with school leaders and families.
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“With wildfires becoming such a regular reality in Los Angeles, this lab gives our students the chance to explore what’s happening in their own backyard,” GALS LA science teacher Ginneh Lewis said. “Not only are they learning science concepts; they're also how those concepts connect to the challenges their families and communities face.”
TAF is dedicated to helping classroom teachers make STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning fun and exciting for students in U.S. schools. The foundation funds innovative STEM projects designed by teachers for use in their own classrooms.
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GALS LA's lab will reach more than 150 students in grades six and seven this year, with plans to expand in the future, and directly connects with GALS LA's holistic approach to middle school education. Students attending GALS LA often grow two grade levels in one academic year.
GALS LA focuses on the seamless integration of academics and physical mastery in a healthy, competitive environment, emphasizing the intrinsic connection between a strong mind and strong body. It is the only school in the nation that predicates its environment on academic excellence and deep personal growth through the distinct lens of health and wellness.
To learn more about GALS LA and enroll your student for the 2025-2026 school year, visit https://www.galsla.org/enroll.
To learn more about the Toshiba America Foundation and submit a teacher or school application, visit https://www.toshiba.com/taf/.
