Youth Programming Exploration at Forge Greensboro
(Greensboro, NC) -- This January 2022, Forge Greensboro started piloting new, collaborative Youth STEAM & Entrepreneurship programming. The incorporation of youth programming fulfills the Forge’s vision to catalyze the spirit of making to improve quality of life and economic opportunity through access to tools and experiences.
This collaborative pilot was made possible by a collaboration with UNCG professor Dr. Sara Heredia, an authority on Youth Maker Education. The STEM Club joins Rockingham county’s brightest and most curious middle school students and introduces them to STEM learning. Reidsville Middle School is a wonderfully diverse school that reflects the demographics of the Triad well, but deals with underconnection, which led Forge Greensboro to partner with them for the pilot. “We are so excited to partner with the students and teachers in the RMS STEM Club for this pilot,” says Forge Programs Director Jennie Savage. “They will be able to take the creative engineering concepts they are learning in their club and translate them into something tangible using the resources of the Forge. We hope to offer a truly unique experience to the curious youth of the Triad.”
Dr. Sara Heredia’s role as a facilitator and consultant is pivotal to developing the Forge as an asset to local maker-focused education efforts. Dr. Heredia’s research focuses on teacher learning of science education, specifically in makerspace-like environments. “Students are often positioned as consumers of technologies in their daily lives and in the classroom. When students engage in making and design, they have the opportunity to become producers of technology and innovation,” Dr. Heredia shares. “As students engage in making in community makerspaces like the forge, they have the opportunity to work with make mentors to bring their creative ideas to life.”
This pilot will lead the Forge into youth-focused programming that will bring impactful learning to more students in the Triad. The makerspace is excited to announce a partnership with Say Yes Guilford bringing a mobile makerspace into their tool arsenal. The mobile makerspace will allow the piloted programming to be executed at schools, eliminating the need for student transportation and making enriching STEAM learning experiences more accessible to more schools in the Triad area. The Forge would also like to thank Volvo Truck for their generous donation of $5,000 to fund the initial upfit of the Forge’s in-house Innovation Lab, launched in 2021. The Forge is currently seeking $50,000 to bring the project to completion and aid in hiring dedicated staff to lead the charge and continue to create engineering and entrepreneurship-focused projects for schools and extracurricular groups. To support the Forge’s efforts, donate here: https://donorbox.org/impact2021
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