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Beginning on June 12, the program will start at St. John Missionary Baptist Church, continuing at Ridgewood School and ending at The Dome in July. The program will feature courses and activities related to robotics, engineering, 3-D printing and coding.
This year’s summer program is inspired by a two-week summer camp hosted in 2016 by Springfield native Yvonne Thevenot, director of STEM Kids NYC, an after-school program that helps young children engage with STEM-related activities.
A graduate of the former Springfield North High School, Thevenot wanted to bring her New York-based program to the children of her home city. Its success lead to the creation of STEM Kids Champion City, which aims to provide local students with skills in science, math and more.
“The earlier that you start with helping build skills with students and generating interest, the more it actually comes forward in adulthood,” she said.
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STEM Kids Champion City officially launched in October and works with organizations in the area to provide monthly workshops they call TechFest for students ages 8 to 15, the latest one being hosted on April 8 at their office, One Main St.
The workshop will deal with circuits and students will be using needles and conductive thread to make circuit-infused stuffed toys, which will contain an on and off switch that controls a LED light.
Austin Moore, director of STEM Kids Champion City, said these workshops provide students with a much-needed outlet.
“We are trying to implement a lot more exposure to systems that you don’t see very often here in Springfield,” he said.
To pre-register or for more information, text @stemkids to 81010 or email mooreat@stemkidsnyc.org. The summer camps cost between $80 and $150.
In line with the organization’s model of building a community, Thevenot said the young organization is in the process of forging more connections within the community and that its key mission is to provide local students with more opportunities.
“Right now we are flying somewhat solo with the graciousness of these other local organizations,” she said.
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