STEM programming isn’t scary, it’s fun! At least that’s the message Heather Love Beverley and Heather Thompson from Cook Memorial Public Library District in Illinois gave a packed audience today at their 52 Weeks of STEM @ Your Library program. From hydraulic butterflies, DIY Rollercoaster to programming without computers, they shared how to add engaging STEM programming into your library.
Their advice:
Just relax. It’s okay if you’ve forgotten your science from school; you can find out what you need in a book!
Don’t overplan.
Always have a backup project.
Be excited.
Embrace the chaos.
Heather and Heather also stressed the importance of having support from colleagues. “Someone you can bounce ideas off of.”
And then the audience got to build little catapults that tossed colorful cotton balls at the presenters. How cool was that!
Heather and Heather have made all their program outlines, supply list, procedures, links to explanations, tips, and more at www.steminlibraries.com
It was a really good presentation.