Kids take part in Montgomery Co. STEM summer program to jumpstart post-pandemic learning
ROCKVILLE, Md. (7News) — For the past few weeks, the Universities at Shady Grove have welcomed Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) summer school students to its Rockville campus’s new Biomedical Sciences and Engineering building for planned STEM field trips, in a program operated by the KID Museum.
The pandemic has created a new opportunity this summer for Shady Grove to bring transformative, hands-on programming to students impacted by COVID-disrupted learning.
Preparations are also underway for the return this fall of in-person education, after more than a year of almost all college courses happening remotely.
SEE ALSO | As the Delta variant surges, doctor explains how parents can protect their kids from COVID
Thousands of elementary and middle school students are taking part in the program in a way to jumpstart post-pandemic learning. Students from MCPS Title I middle schools, and from other MCPS schools with high rates of free and reduced meals, are making, inventing, and gaining STEM and social-emotional skills in multi-session experiential programs led by KID Museum educators at USG’s new, state-of-the-art Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Building.
“We are thrilled to partner with the KID Museum and MCPS to provide powerful STEM learning opportunities for these students in our new, state-of-the-art Biomedical Sciences and Engineering building on the USG campus,” said Dr. Anne Khademian, USG Executive Director.
“This is exactly the kind of program that can ignite a spark in a young person and ultimately lead them on the path to an exciting, impactful career," she said.
Middle school students from Title I Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will make, invent, and collaborate as part of Introduction to Inventing, where field trips include workshops on cardboard construction, electronics, TinkerCAD 3D printing, and wood fabrication.
A chance for the youth to visit USG through the Department of Recreation’s leadership camps, where they’ll take part in KID Museum programming designed to activate them as makers and build engagement in STEM.
LIST: Fall mask policies for DC, Maryland and Virginia schools
KID Museum’s partnership with USG will continue throughout the school year, providing more kids, especially those most impacted by the pandemic, with access to learning experiences that help them develop both the technical and social-emotional skills that they need to succeed in school and beyond.
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS:
- Montgomery Village Middle School
- White Oak Middle School
INTRODUCTION TO INVENTING WORKSHOPS:
- Week 1: Design and Engineering: Students use cardboard construction techniques to engage in the engineering design process to learn new technical skills, and create inventions for everyday problems.
- Week 2: Electronics: Students learn how to build a basic circuit and create permanent connections with heat shrink to then design and build a decorative plaque for their room.
- Week 3: TinkerCAD 3D Design: Students learn the basics of how to use TinkerCAD as a communication and 3D modeling tool.
- Week 4: Woodworking: Students will learn basic woodworking skills and build a game that uses gravity and obstacles to create a random outcome.
