Local library holds free STEM workshops for kids

The hope is to 'spark wonder, creativity and discovery'

The thought of our youth becoming our future resource can be pretty worrisome, but Toronto’s largest public library doesn’t think so.

Toronto Public Library has decided to ignite the minds of our youth while encouraging and guiding them to the right path by holding “Mini Makers,” a weekly workshop at S. Walter Stewart Library for youth aged four to eight that teaches and encourages topics in regards to the world of science, technology, engineering, and math.

The workshop is a compressed version of the annual seminar in Toronto called “Maker Festival,” a two-day event that has more than 100 local tech groups and makers showcasing their work while holding hands-on workshops in relation to STEM.

Each week, something new will be taught so the kids can learn a wide variety of STEM-related material without feeling like their Sunday afternoons are being spent in a classroom.

In a description on its web page, Toronto Public Library said it hopes to use the program to “spark wonder, creativity and discovery.”

During a workshop session, Leslie Paige, a mother of two, praised the library for educating children on topics that will be useful in the future.

“When I was in school, what we learned was all in the books,” Paige said. “Having my kids learn hands-on, I think it’s more informative. They’re learning topics that will be useful in the future, but they’re having fun at the same time.”

The wide variety of learning activities include having children use their imaginations to build things with skewers and marshmallows.

“My son loves to build things, and he loves space,” said Parami Patel, a mother of five. “This workshop allows him to be hands-on, but it also helps him realize that his passion could possibly become a future career.”

The workshop will run every Sunday (except May 20) at 2:30 p.m. from now through June 24.

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Posted: Apr 11 2018 1:37 pm
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