Here's a fun question for you.
Did you know that the popsicle, trampoline, earmuffs, Braille, swim flippers, and Christmas lights are just a half-dozen of the hundreds of fantastical and functional everyday things that were invented by children?
These few examples underscore why educators know it’s important to encourage ingenuity in young people by sharing equipment and opportunities with them which will elevate their problem-solving skills.
The 50 students enrolled in Hart Public Schools’ summer migrant education program got to flex their powers of investigation and creativity this summer thanks to a $10,000 Michigan Out of School Time (MOST) grant from the Michigan Department of Education.
MiSTEM Network Region 9 Director Brian Dotson worked with Ferris State University DeeDee Stakely, a Ferris State University administrator who oversees secondary school partnerships, to garner this MOST grant and combine it with other West Shore ESD resources to benefit the Hart program.
The funds provided each student with grade-level appropriate kits containing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) supplies which students could use to invent "something special."
The youngest students got an aquatic robotics lessons highlighting symbiotic relationships. They built aquarium habitats.
The 7th and 8th graders worked in pairs to build remote-controlled robots.
The 5th and 6th graders built less sophisticated robots able to navigate courses by light sensors.
The 3rd and 4th graders received kits with two identical robots – one to disassemble and examine individual parts – and the other to serve as an example to put the other back together.
“We are super thankful for the STEM kits, which were a wonderful addition to our summer migrant program,” said Michaela Dennert, the summer Migrant Program Director and the Special Education Director for Hart during the school year. “The children really enjoy being creative and imaging and making something. The robots were a big hit.”
Director Michaela Dennert & Teacher Danica Elder
The summer migrant program is mostly an academic “catch up” opportunity for children whose education is frequently interrupted by moves their parents make to follow the harvesting of crops.
Over a summer, migrant agricultural workers in Oceana County typically harvest asparagus, cherries, and zucchini, Michaela noted.
“Students get to keep their STEM kits, and these supplies i will help them create more inventions about things they are curious about,” said Danica Elder, a Hart teacher, who taught the STEM class in the summer program.
The STEM kits included things like gears, screws, screwdrivers, scissors, paper, pencils, masking tape, markers, wax sticks, toy jellyfish and stickers, depending on the grade level.
Encouraging young children to invent fosters creativity, promotes problem-solving skills and adaptability, and studies show that when students are given the opportunity to construct inventions from their own ideas, their confidence and sense of self-worth grow, too!