News Release
Homer CCSD 33C
Goodings Grove Luther J. Schilling William E. Young William J. Butler
Hadley Middle Homer Jr. High
Contact: Charla Brautigam, Communications/Public Relations Manager
cbrautigam@homerschools.org | 708-226-7628
For Immediate Release:
April 20, 2017
Homer 33C teams up with Homer Township Public Library to bring more STEAM projects, learning opportunities to children
Local children and their families will have greater access to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) projects thanks to a collaborative effort between Homer School District 33C and Homer Township Public Library.
The public taxing bodies teamed up to apply for a grant that would enable them to empower middle school learners and public library patrons to create, engage and build using collaborative work spaces called “makerspace.”
In mid-March, they learned their efforts were successful.
Their application for a $2,500 RAILS Collaborative Grant Opportunity was accepted, enabling them to purchase the equipment and supplies needed to bring 3D printing and circuit building to children year-round.
“We believe that we can facilitate patron learning and provide an enriching experience for all young people in our collective patronage through the collaboration of the school library and public library youth services department,” Dawn Scuderi, library media specialist at Hadley Middle School, and Jody Olivieri, youth services manager at Homer Township Public Library, wrote in their grant application.
“While both libraries have had some limited success with makerspaces in their respective spaces, in sharing resources, both curricular and materials, we can expose a wider patronage to and meet a growing demand for STEAM related programming for both the public and school libraries,” they continued.
The programming will consist of eight year-round programs with multiple sessions at the public library that will utilize 3D printing, circuit building and building a variety of structures that will focus on a specific point of interest and problem solving skills.
In the school libraries, the same resources will be used with eight curriculum supporting lesson plans.
“We are excited for the new prospects of this ‘library community’ collaboration and look forward to involving as many students and library patrons in makerspace programming as possible,” said Scuderi and Olivieri.
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