Prime Time brought STEAM to New Hope Charities in Pahokee, Florida, through a training for afterschool practitioners to learn how to connect hands-on engagement to the cognitive side of science and STEAM, otherwise known as ‘minds-on.’
In February, Prime Time launched its new STEAM training series where participants are learning and practicing in engaging activities that explore the worlds of science, technology, engineering, arts and math. This series boosts practitioners’ confidence in science knowledge, demonstrates activities that link youth development strategies and intentional STEAM learning opportunities and guides participants in implementing STEAM in their program that is easy and effective.
Practitioners have been given guided notes about traditional learning, hands-on learning, and minds-on learning. They compared the three different learning styles and benefits of each so they could connect these styles with STEAM back at their programs.
Prime Time’s STEAM Professional Development Specialist Patricia Sasson led the discussion and demonstrated the activities. They broke into groups where they went from station to station and completed different STEAM experiments. In the first station, they created a roller coaster using paper to learn how mechanical engineers design and improve machinery and systems.
In the second exercise, practitioners made paper cup telephones with strings to demonstrate compression waves and how energy travels. The exercise showed how sound waves travel at different speeds through different mediums: solid, liquid or gas.
“We learned how to apply science, technology and engineering to different things in real life. I feel very excited to go back to the Boys and Girls Club and teach the youth in our afterschool program.” - Claris McLarty, Afterschool Practitioner, New Hope Charities
“This training was meant to apply what it means to do hands-on STEAM training with the youth, to be hands-on engaged and doing activities.” Patricia Sasson, STEAM Professional Development Specialist, Prime Time Palm Beach County
