Beyond the books: How Toyota and the Ypsi District Library are opening doors to STEM

On the Ground Ypsilanti is an “embedded journalism” program covering the city and township of Ypsilanti. It is supported by Ann Arbor SPARK, the Center for Health and Research Transformation, Destination Ann Arbor, Eastern Michigan University, Engage @ EMU, Washtenaw Community College, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, and Washtenaw ISD.

When a child connects an electrical circuit and watches an LED bulb light up for the first time, they’re learning more than science. They’re also learning what they are capable of achieving. For the Ypsilanti District Library (YDL), moments like these are the goal of Project STEM@YDL, an initiative supported by Toyota’s Driving Possibilities program that is expanding access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for children and families.

Since the partnership began in spring 2023, Toyota has provided YDL with $30,000 annually to expand programming, purchase educational equipment, and introduce young people to STEM professionals. The investment is creating opportunities for children to explore new interests, develop problem-solving skills, and discover careers they may never have considered. 

“YDL’s mission is to build community through discovery, education, and partnerships,” says Christina McMullen, development coordinator at YDL. “Through this we envision a thriving, highly-connected community supported by innovative resources and exciting learning opportunities. Every goal of Project STEM@YDL leads us directly to fulfilling this vision for our young patrons and the community.” 

The funding has enabled YDL to acquire resources including 3D printers, iPads, digital microscopes, light tables, Ozobots, magnetic building tiles, and a wind tunnel. But for YDL, the partnership is about more than providing equipment. It is about making learning accessible and helping children and families see the library as a place for discovery. Toyota’s Driving Possibilities initiative aims to support under-resourced communities and develop pathways from kindergarten to careers in high-growth industries. 

The library has also welcomed outside organizations, including the Michigan Science Center, Leslie Science and Nature Center, and Future Innovators Academy, to lead, support, and participate in larger family programs.

“Outside presenters draw much bigger crowds and bring new families to the library,” says McMullen.

Jodi Krahnke, head of youth services at YDL, says the program has evolved as library staff have learned how to make the most of the investment. 

“In our first year of funding, we concentrated on hiring STEM presenters at all buildings, making sure to offer a big program once a month…and on purchasing educational STEM tools and toys,” she says. 

The following year, the library prioritized buying equipment that could be shared across its branches and continue benefiting families over time. 

By the third year, “we realized we needed a plan to maintain what we’d already purchased and that we could afford STEM presenters again,” Krahnke says. 

Now, her team is trying to balance “buying things, bringing in experts, and training staff to use what we have already purchased.”

That strategy has helped the library expand its reach. In 2025, YDL offered 176 STEM programs attended by 4,879 people, according to Krahnke’s program figures. Families have also shown steadily growing interest in the opportunities.

Project STEM@YDL serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade and their families through year-round programming at the library’s three locations. At YDL-Whittaker, families can attend two evenings of after-school programming each week, including activities that explore coding, space, flight, cooking, and 3D printing. YDL-Superior offers Garden to Table and food science programming, while Teen STEAM Cafés connect older students with professionals and hands-on projects. 

“Every year we’ve offered six to nine Teen STEAM Cafes at YDL-Michigan (or elsewhere when that building was closed for renovations). Teens meet a STEM expert, do a hands-on project, and have dinner on a Friday night at the library,” says Krahnke. 

The library’s STEM play spaces also encourage children and families to experiment independently. Krahnke says the activities are intentionally designed to promote creativity and persistence but also cooperation and community-building. 

“We see a lot of collaboration, where families who don’t know each other before meeting at the library jump into building forts or ramps together with some of the tools we’ve purchased,” she says. 

Krahnke also says children are learning that setbacks are part of solving problems. 

“We’ve seen kids build perseverance, as well. Instead of melting down or quitting [when frustrated], they are learning it’s part of the STEM process to make adjustments and try again if something doesn’t go as expected the first time.”

That lesson extends beyond science experiments. Learning to collaborate, adapt, and keep trying can help children approach challenges in school and everyday life with greater confidence. 

The program also brings parents and children together through shared activities. Family STEM sessions have provided food and transportation assistance, helping families participate in multiweek learning opportunities. The library has distributed STEM kits through camps and outreach events, including 554 funded by Toyota and 500 donated by Eastern Michigan University. 

For Krahnke, the impact is visible when children begin taking greater ownership of their learning. 

“Seeing the joy kids experience when they’re successful at coming up with new solutions to a challenge is rewarding,” she says.

The library is working to strengthen its evaluation methods, including using talk-back boards, where children can share what they learned after a program ends. Staff also track attendance and have conducted more formal assessments of chess club and Teen STEAM Cafés. The next phase of Project STEM@YDL includes building stronger relationships with Ypsilanti Community Schools (YCS) and Lincoln Consolidated Schools (LCS). YDL hopes to coordinate with school STEM leaders and provide transportation for student field trips, allowing library programming to build on what children learn during the school day.

The library has also partnered with Black Men Read to offer read-aloud sessions with hands-on STEM activities at YDL-Superior. Other programs, including Circuit Lab and Pokémon card meetups, incorporate science, reading, and math into accessible activities. Krahnke says the partnership has given staff room to experiment, learn which programs work best for families, and develop their own expertise. The library is also working to catalog shared equipment and train staff so successful activities can be offered across branches.

Currently, the program is utilizing monies from the 2026-’27 grant, which ends at the end of May 2027. 

Regarding the future, McMullen says, “Our objectives remain the same, but we will be working on strengthening our partnership with YCS and LCS STEM Leaders in creating unique and exciting STEM experiences and opportunities. By joining together to share ideas and lessons learned, we can better coordinate to create programming that complements the work of both the schools and YDL.” 

For Ypsilanti, the partnership represents an investment in more than equipment and activities. It brings together a corporate partner, library educators, schools, families, and community organizations around a shared goal: giving young people opportunities to explore their potential. As children build, experiment, collaborate, and discover new interests, the library is helping make STEM learning part of everyday community life, one project, one family, and one breakthrough at a time. 

For more information about Project STEM@YDL, visit www.ypsilibrary.org.