Family STEAM Night

As School Outreach Coordinator, I love taking the library to the community. One great way to reach a lot of people is to get invited to school-wide events! When one elementary school asked us to participate in their annual Family STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Night again, the answer was a resounding yes. Each year, we’ve done something a little different for STEAM Night, and this year, our tables featured a variety of popular activities.

Collaborate!

The Library didn’t just have one table at Family STEAM Night; we had two! Our Library’s awesome MakerSpace had a table right next to our Youth Services table, and it was great. Kerstin from the MakerSpace ran a 3D printer throughout the event, so that families could see a print in action. Kerstin also had examples of 3D prints on the table. The activity at her table was to create sublimation magnets! Kids colored pre-printed scientific images (plants, animals, dinosaurs, rockets, etc.) using sublimation markers. Kerstin then heat transferred their image onto a soft rubber pad and used an adhesive magnet on the back. The students loved this station!

Choose Your Challenge(s)!

At the Youth Services table, we offered different STEAM challenges for the participants. My colleague, Emily, provided a building challenge where kids had to build a platform for two stuffed animals, using only clothespins and popsicle sticks. The stuffed animals were related to an upcoming program of hers, so Emily could promote that program. I offered an I Spy challenge, where I filled an aquarium with…stuff! Everything from a tiara to alphabet letters, from crayons to plastic animals. You can see below that I created two different challenge sheets: “I Spy with My Little Eye” for our younger visitors and “I Spy with My Bigger Eye” for our older participants. (These are pictured together below.)

We also brought two giant Jenga® sets from our Library of Things. These were hugely popular at Family STEAM Night, both in the traditional game approach (adults played against kids; kids competed against each other; I think there was even a teacher playing against a student!) as well as children using them creatively as building blocks. This Engineering challenge didn’t need any staff involvement, and one older sibling and their grown-up built a tower over 4 feet tall before it toppled. They were very proud, as they should have been!

Connections and Conversations

This Family STEAM Night was a great opportunity for us to make connections with our community. People who might not make it into the library had a chance to meet us and see what we have to offer. The activities drew the kids in, and conversations ensued with them and with their grown-ups. All in all, it was a successful evening, and we’re already looking forward to next year!

This ALSC blog post addresses the following core competencies: I. Commitment to Client Group, III. Programming Skills, and V. Outreach and Advocacy.

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 As School Outreach Coordinator, I love taking the library to the community. One great way to reach a lot of people is to get invited to school-wide events! When one elementary school asked us to participate in their annual Family STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Night again, the answer was a resounding yes. Each year, we’ve done something a little different for STEAM Night, and this year, our tables featured a variety of popular activities. Collaborate! The Library didn’t just have one table at Family STEAM Night; we had two! Our Library’s awesome MakerSpace had a table right next to our Youth Services table, and it was great. Kerstin from the MakerSpace ran a 3D printer throughout the event, so that families could see a print in action. Kerstin also had examples of 3D prints on the table. The activity at her table was to create sublimation magnets!…
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