UC Irvine School of Education, Santa Ana to unveil playful learning installations at park

EVENT: UC Irvine’s School of Education, in partnership with the city of Santa Ana’s Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Agency and the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative, is holding a community celebration to unveil four interactive learning installations at Madison Park and Angels Park. These installations are designed to transform public spaces into playful learning environments, sparking conversations about science and math while promoting family engagement and informal STEM education.

WHEN/WHERE: 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at Madison Park, 1528 S. Standard Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92707

INFORMATION: Parking is available onsite at Madison Park, near the intersection of Edinger and Standard avenues.

Media planning to attend should contact Cara Capuano at 949-501-9192 or ccapuano@uci.edu or Rachel Sampson at 949-466-8938 or sampsonr@uci.edu for assistance in arranging interview opportunities. Please RSVP in advance.

HIGHLIGHTS: Andres Bustamante, UC Irvine associate professor of education and lead researcher in the Playful Learning Landscapes project; UC Irvine School of Education Dean Frances Contreras; and Santa Ana community and city leaders will share remarks before a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Featured installations include:

• “Parkopolis,” at Madison Park: a life-size board game that promotes STEM language use, caregiver-child interaction and physical activity
• “How Tall Am I,” at Angels Park: an interactive height comparison tool introducing math concepts
• “Giant Lotería Game,” at Angels Park: a cultural twist on math and science learning through play
• “Eye Spy Mural,” at Madison Park (tentative): an interactive mural encouraging observation and engagement with hidden objects

BACKGROUND: In 2020, the National Science Foundation awarded Bustamante a four-year, $2.57 million grant for his research project “Stimulating STEM in the City: Co-Designing With Latiné Families to Promote Informal STEM Learning.”

This initiative focuses on creating playful learning installations that reflect the cultural values, goals and history of the Santa Ana community. Bustamante’s research team, which includes June Ahn, UC Irvine professor of education, and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Temple University professor of psychology, collaborated with members of the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative to co-design a series of installations in public urban areas. Through 20 design sessions with local families, SAELI gathered valuable community input to shape engaging public spaces for informal STEM learning.

Two installations are already in use in Santa Ana on Main Street and McFadden Avenue, at the Northgate Market and at a bus stop on the northeast corner. They feature signage that encourages math and science learning in everyday activities. A giant abacus at the bus stop promotes practicing math skills during daily commutes.

The team is also working with the Playful Learning Landscapes Action Network to share these designs and their impact with other cities worldwide.

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