Tenderloin Community School — R&D Impact Foundation

Launched in Fall 2022, the Tenderloin Science Project (TSP) creates new opportunities for kids in the Tenderloin neighborhood in downtown San Francisco to explore STEM in school and in afterschool and summer spaces. We work through community partnerships to design and deliver hands-on learning experiences that ignite community transformational change.

In-school Program at Tenderloin Community School

TSP’s program at Tenderloin Community School (TSP@TCS) focuses on growth, sustainability and wellness. In the R&D Impact STEM Lab and Community Garden, K-5 students engage in standards-aligned, hands-on STEM activities that enhance their classroom science learning.

TSP Philosophy

K-5 is the time to develop skills in scientific learning and engineering design. Students are introduced to science as a language of curiosity about the world. Technology, engineering and math emerge as tools to explore arising questions and problems.
Why TCS?

As the only public school in the Tenderloin, TCS educates the lion’s share of neighborhood students. TSP@TCS provides a concentrated exposure to community-oriented STEM. It sows the seeds for broader influence as foundational lessons take root.
TSP@TCS Vision

Cultural and community relevancy are integral to real-world learning. STEM addresses society’s big issues. At TCS, we capitalize upon the school garden as a centerpiece to explore urban greening, vertical farming, growth and well-being.

I am a STEM Explorer,
full of imagination.
Tackling new things with an open mind,
always seeking innovation.
I demonstrate patience to learn
and a willingness to try.
Full of curiosity about the world,
always stopping to ask “Why?”
I respect myself & others.
I work well when in a team.
Like the plants you see around me,
I live, I grow... but also, I dream!

–STEM Explorers Pledge