Weekly Media Roundup: July 13, 2016

Kids Bring Legos to Life in the Woodlands (Houston Chronicle, Texas)

The Woodlands Children’s Museum is hosting workshops on Shakespearian theater, arts and crafts and chemistry this summer, but the museum’s Lego robotics course is by far the most popular. The elementary schoolers learn to reverse engineer Lego robots using their knowledge of gear ratios and construction, building up to five robots a week. “We educated, empowered and excited them, and they didn’t even know,” museum executive director Angela Colton told the Houston Chronicle. The course shows students how fun working with technology can be while helping them develop skills like teamwork, problem solving and creativity.

Camp Susan Curtiss Provides Lifetime Lessons (Portland Press Herald, Maine)

Underprivileged youths rarely get to enjoy the opportunities that come with afterschool activities and summer camps. But for more than 40 years, Camp Susan Curtis in the foothills of western Maine has provided a place for economically disadvantaged students to participate in all the outdoor activities summer camp is known for while also providing free educational programs to build confidence and job skills for the future. All the campers come from disadvantaged homes and many are on the autism spectrum, but at Camp Susan Curtis they learn how to set goals, think critically about the world around them and build their self-esteem, the Portland Press Herald reports.

Full STEAM Ahead: Summer Camp Puts Students in the Laboratory (Auburn Journal, California)

Hundreds of Auburn students are learning about how rockets work, how to build robots and what happens when you mix Mentos with Diet Coke at summer camps all over the area. STEAM-based summer programs are popping up all over Auburn, from the Boys & Girls Club to the Colfax Library. The programs not only help stem the summer slide, but also focus on social-emotional learning, forging friendships, improving teamwork and creative problem-solving. “(Students) see a challenge and work to fix it. If it doesn’t work out great the first time they reassess,” Boys & Girls Club program director Jennifer Cross told the Auburn Journal. “It’s a great life lesson.”

Put Down Your Cell Phones and Learn How to Sew (Weston Forum, Connecticut)

Weston resident Gabriela Low thinks young people today spend too much time on their cell phones, so she has started running afterschool programs at Weston public schools encouraging students to work on hand-on creative projects, primarily sewing and knitting. The enrichment classes helps students build fine motor skills and give them a chance to work independently to develop their individual creativity. “When the kids complete a project in my class and see the end product, it raises their self-esteem and gives them something to feel good about,” Low told the Weston Forum. “Also, the process of sewing, knitting or braiding seems to help the kids focus and relax.” Low hopes to expand her program to the middle school and high school, where she would teach fashion design and other more complex programs.