Hello everyone! Long time, no post! I have been so blessed over the past couple of months. I got a promotion and work has been so time-consuming. But, today I am so excited to share with you about one of the most impactful, exciting weeks at the Club. In conjunction with National Engineering Week, all four Units in Springfield hosted a week full of programming, animation, building, and more.
The week kicked off with an "Ask an Engineer" event hosted by U.S. Cellular. Members learned about engineering careers in the community and participated in hands on activities. Tuesday was all about coding and programming, Wednesday taught animation, Thursday was building and measuring, and Friday was an amazing celebration with guest speakers in engineering fields.
Click here for a complete schedule of events and curriculum for the week.
Click here for a detailed description of the Harold the Robot game
Click here for a post-event questionnaire that can help measure the efficacy of the program
After compiling information from the post questionnaire:
100% of members said they learned something new.
87% of members said they feel more confident with coding and programming.
80% of members said they feel more confident with animation.
95% of members said they could become an Engineer if they wanted to.
Overall, members had the most fun during the building portion of the program where they used spaghetti, marshmallows, legos, blocks, and random materials to create and build.
I do this thing called a Plus/Delta that I learned during my teaching years. Once a lesson or event is complete, I like to fill one of these forms out to highlight the successes and areas for improvement. Here is what I came up for this year's Engineering Week:
Pluses
All four Units in Springfield ran the program
We targeted female members
We targeted those not typically engaged in STEM activities
High-yield activities were presented throughout the event
The staff responsible for implementing the event was trained, excited, and qualified
Guest speakers from the community
Celebration and Recognition
Media Coverage-LOOK! We were even featured in our local newspaper
Deltas
Would be good to provide additional materials and activities for those members who finish early
Would be beneficial to host an actual, in person, training to help staff be more successful
The materials presented during the US Cellular presentation could be more age appropriate
This week was so much fun and members had a great time. They especially loved the personal recognition they got form staff. We used this program for members 9-12 and the program ran for 2-3 hours a day for a week. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!