Girls Who Code wants to give you the tools and resources you need to develop inclusive computer science programming – no coding experience required. Join us to learn about our free Clubs program for 3rd-12th grade coders. We’ll introduce you to our three essential components for quality programming: (1) activities that teach coding and social-emotional development, (2) a culture of bravery where participants join a supportive community of peers and role models in tech, and (3) real-world application of coding for positive impact. Leave with step-by-step guidance for bringing new STEM initiatives to young people in your community!
Presenter: Kibret Yebetit is a Senior Manager of Community Partnerships & Outreach at Girls Who Code. She works with educators, libraries, and nonprofits to bring free computer science education to their students.
Date Recorded: 5/9/2024
Format: Archived YouTube Video
Presenter: Kibret Yebetit / Senior Manager of Community Partnerships & Outreach at Girls Who Code
Resources:
Find out how The Bridge Makerspace evolved at the Noble County Public Library.
Libraries give their communities access to amazing online resources with enormous potential to improve lives and build skills, but these databases and digital courses are a challenge to promote and often underutilized. The St. Joe County Public Library has had success with Bendable, a life long learning platform that pairs online learning with in person connections. Community engagement and outreach are at the heart of our strategy, and we work directly with community members, organizations, and businesses to curate learning opportunities. These strategies focus on workforce development and partner networks. This webinar will provide an introduction to Bendable and also explore strategies for learning-centered engagement and outreach that can be implemented by any library.
More and more libraries are incorporating Makerspaces as part of the available resources for the public. With a focus on lifelong learning, creativity, and innovation, makerspaces can offer people an opportunity to explore new hobbies, interests, and job skills by providing tools and resources that they may otherwise not have access to. Is your library looking to begin or expand a makerspace? Not sure where to start or how to take the next step? In this presentation we will share an overview of the La Porte County Public Library Exchange, a makerspace located in La Porte, Indiana; what the Exchange offers; and lessons learned along the way that may be helpful to consider when starting or expanding your library’s makerspace.
Board games are fun for children of all ages, but they are also promising tools for education. How can we best practically incorporate them into K-12 classrooms in order to optimize learning? As a former neurobiologist who transitioned to teaching, I have experimented for the past seven years with the integration of board games as educational tools. Here I will discuss best practices for using board games effectively to teach content knowledge, focusing primarily on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. Topics covered will include gamer motivations, fun yet educational game mechanics, lesson plan structures, roles of educators in scaffolded learning, and common mistakes I have discovered in the “gameschooling” process. I will also show preliminary evidence that board games can effectively improve content knowledge. Overall, I hope to show how popular modern board games could be utilized in educational arenas.
Under the staircase, an old study room, an accessible storage closet … anywhere can become a mini makerspace! The North Riverside Public Library, a small library outside Chicago, was able to cobble together funding using our budget and grants to create mini makerspaces in small nooks around our library. We will talk about our process, research on materials and space design, and how we solicited valuable feedback from patrons. We’ll also discuss our failures and successes throughout the planning and implementation process, including budgetary constraints and unique workarounds that we discovered. This talk will be applicable to any small or rural library willing to get creative.
Join us to learn about STEM and “making” in libraries featuring the Make Do Share curriculum that has been tried and tested in a rural library system in Washington State. Make Do Share was made by libraries for libraries and includes helpful tips to build your confidence while supporting 21st century learners. We will explore ways to incorporate STEM skills into existing programs and how to become a non-expert leader in your community’s STEM learning ecology.
Telescopes, digital converters, board games, coding toys, and more! Cary Memorial Library (MA) debuted its Library of Things collection in March 2017. Over a year later, we are grateful for how our collection has flourished in spite of a few hiccups along the way! This webinar discusses the why and how of starting a circulating collection of unusual items, including Cary Library’s best practices for streamlining the circulation process and easing staff concerns regarding learning about all of the Things in your collection.
Join Deb Gaff, youth services librarian at the Bartholomew County Public Library—and former teacher—as she discusses the STEAM programs she does for students both in school and at BCPL. First she shares valuable strategies for establishing a relationship with schools and explains how BCPL got started with these initiatives. Then she highlights her programs, including Coder Dojo, working with robots, a Nick & Tesla book club, and more.