Turning The Lights On At The Door: Club member Camden realizes the bright potential of gaining a STEM education as she works on her project to channel electricity to illuminate and animate her model.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has become the newest wave of ‘must-learn’ education over the last decade. Comprehensive and forward-thinking, STEM lessons hone a student’s understanding of scientific principles and help prepare them for better career opportunities and access to more competitively rewarding experiences in higher education. Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore’s STEM-geared activities are helping to ensure that all members have the chance to be a part of this innovative, hands-on learning style every week. With today being a culmination of National Science Education Day, Celebrate Scientists Day, International Day of Mathematics, Genius Day and—of course the most delicious and mathematic holiday of them all—National Pi Day, we wanted to celebrate by showing you how we’re striving for greatness at Clubs through the STEM education. Nia Taliaferro, Club Manager at The Door, is one of the Club staff members opening the minds of our members by some of the many STEM projects her team continues to work on with participants.
“Helping to improve and strengthen the mathematical and scientific skills of our members is a top goal that we’re trying to accomplish here at The Door,” Nia says about the activities engaging members every Thursday at her Club. “Seeing how the children learn and then start applying their creativity through building models and doing other fun exercises is giving them a better understanding of how what they’re learning in school works in their everyday lives.”
Learning and Building: Club Members at The Door independently work on their STEM project at the same table to gain the knowledge and--moreover--a greater understanding of the principles in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore, through activities such as working with electric circuits to send current to charge lights, is working to narrow the gap in access to STEM learning as it continues to become a constant staple at our Clubs. Helping all youth better understand how STEM-based concepts shape ‘their everyday lives’ is integral to further raising their personal expectations of what is possible in the classroom, as a future career and beyond. Advancements in the areas of design for aerospace, civil engineering and other disciplines start in environments akin to the ones seen at all the Clubs across the Metropolitan Baltimore region. We know that our current members and STEM participants have the potential to be the next wave of studious thinkers, change-makers, and inventors that will impact the world. Nia, just like all the talented and dedicated team of Club staff members here at Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore, understands the positive ripple effect behind the educational insight our members are gaining each week.
“We’re not only helping our members learn these ideas now so they can excel even more in school, but we’re also helping to prepare them become well-rounded thinkers no matter the field they decide go into after graduation.”
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore is very thankful to Battelle, Comcast and Sea Research Foundation for the support each has shown towards our effort to give access to the interest-piquing STEM curriculum to our Club members.
Want to see what other great activities happening here at Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore are providing the necessary educational access for our members? Click here to find out what we're doing to keep enriching opportunities like these happening for all our Club members and their communities. Click here to find out how you can add to the impact shaping the lives of our youth all year long.