Infinite Potential in Action: STEAM at Bell Family Shelter

During one of the STEAM sessions the children had fun creating a lemon volcano.

When LaQuetta first walked into Bell Family Shelter, she wasn’t sure what to expect.

She didn’t know how many children would be in the room. She didn’t know their stories, the challenges they carried, or the experiences that had shaped them. What she did know was that she arrived with purpose.

LaQuetta Coates, Director of the Women United Charity and Infinite Youth Program, came to Bell Family Shelter with one mission: to inspire creativity, confidence, and possibility through hands-on STEAM learning.

With heart, she shared, “Sometimes children just need an outlet and someone to remind them of their potential.”

What she found went far beyond expectations.

Thanks to Bell Family Shelter’s new, expanded space, children have room to gather, explore, and engage in activities like STEAM. This welcoming environment made it possible to pilot something truly special, a program designed not only to teach science, technology, engineering, art, and math, but to give children a sense of normalcy and connection during an incredibly stressful time in their lives.

From the very first session, the room was full of eager minds, creativity, and future innovators. The children jumped in with full participation and genuine curiosity. Each activity sparked excitement not just because they were learning, but because they were encouraged and supported by compassionate leaders who believed in them.

Session after session, LaQuetta and her team returned energized by the children’s enthusiasm and growth. Each week, they raised the bar, introducing new challenges, deeper learning, and more opportunities for creativity. Through STEAM, the children weren’t just learning concepts; they were building life skills, problem-solving, teamwork, confidence, and resilience, all while experiencing positive mentorship.

“I always tell our kids, ‘You have infinite potential,’” LaQuetta said. “And during my time at Bell, they proved it.”

Bell Family Shelter’s STEAM program created a safe, inspiring space where children experiencing homelessness could explore, imagine, and build confidence in themselves and their futures. This type of program is not currently included in our operating budget, but it has proven to be highly impactful.

The STEAM program was made possible through a generous grant from the York Rotary Foundation, the charitable arm of the Rotary Club of York, which funded it as a pilot initiative. The results spoke for themselves. Feedback from children, families, and staff was overwhelmingly positive, demonstrating firsthand the program’s success and importance.

During one STEAM session, LaQuetta noticed a little girl who seemed unusually quiet and sad. When she gently asked what was wrong, the girl shared that her family would be leaving the shelter the next day. While the move marked an exciting new chapter, she was heartbroken to be leaving the shelter and the STEAM program she loved so much. LaQuetta paused everything to give her a big hug, honoring the bond that had formed in that short time.

On another occasion, a young boy was having so much fun that he excitedly shared that the STEAM session felt like a gift just for him. Moments like these demonstrate the program’s impact, reaching far beyond smiling faces, as it stays with the children in their hearts and minds long after the sessions end.

Thanks to support from the Lynn S Kilker Foundation, Bell can continue this powerful program into 2026. Additional funding is needed to sustain and grow the program in the years ahead.

LaQuetta reflects that while her team came to Bell to give, they left having received just as much in return. “The kids gave us hope, creativity, and a reminder that the future is bright when we invest in it,” she shared.

We are deeply grateful to the York Rotary Foundation for believing in the power of STEAM education and helping Bell pilot a program that has already made a lasting difference. We also thank LaQuetta, Women United Charity, and the Infinite Youth Program for reminding the children and all of us that with the right tools and encouragement, young people will rise, create, and lead.

Here are photos from previous STEAM sessions.