Students can code a robot, create a work of art or turn an original design into a 3D-printed creation this fall as The STEAM Yard opens its doors for a new series of hands-on after-school classes.
The new program, called The STEAM Yard Community Academy, will give students in grades 3 through 8 a chance to choose from three unique areas: Visual Arts, Coding & Robotics, or 3D Printing & Laser Cutting.
Beginning the week of Oct. 27, classes will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays or Thursdays, with students choosing one class on one night each week. The program includes six classes over seven weeks and concludes Dec. 10. Registration is $210 per student.
The classes are part of a larger effort to expand access to The STEAM Yard, which opened 18 months ago at 2020 K Street in downtown Bakersfield, as a space for students to learn through hands-on exploration.
“We already serve thousands of students through field trips, camps, school partnerships, and expanded learning programs, but we wanted to create more opportunities for families to access the STEAM Yard directly,” said Jamie Viveros, Senior Director of Expanded Learning for KCSOS.
The Community Academy is designed to provide that access while giving students more than a one-time introduction to STEAM. By meeting over several weeks, students can develop skills, complete projects and become more comfortable with tools and technology they may not have access to at school or at home.
Each course offers a different entry point into STEAM.
In Visual Arts, for example, students will explore acrylic painting, printmaking, copper and leather art, layered paper designs, graphic design and collage. Those enrolled in Coding & Robotics will challenge students to program robots, solve problems and learn how coding controls a robot’s behavior. And students taking 3D Printing & Laser Cutting will move through the design process from an initial idea to a finished product, working with digital design tools and materials such as wood and acrylic.
The three areas were selected intentionally, Viveros said, to appeal to students with different interests while also showing how art, technology, engineering and design intersect.
While students will develop technical skills, Viveros emphasized the larger goal is to build confidence through creativity and problem-solving while giving students room to test ideas, learn from mistakes and discover interests they may want to pursue further.
“A student may walk into the STEAM Yard because they think making something with a laser cutter sounds fun and walk out wondering what it would be like to become an engineer, designer, programmer, artist, or technician,” Viveros said.
To register HERE for a Community Academy class.
The classes are part of a larger effort to expand access to The STEAM Yard, which opened 18 months ago at 2020 K Street in downtown Bakersfield, as a space for students to learn through hands-on exploration.
By Robert Meszaros
Rob Meszaros is Director of Communications for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, where he has served since 2012. In his role, Meszaros oversees media relations, internal and external communication strategies, publications, Marcom, branding, and multi-media content creation. Before joining KCSOS, Meszaros was the PIO for CSU Bakersfield and earlier worked for seven years at The Bakersfield Californian.