April is just bursting with good things for kids and young adults — including three weeks of STEM for Teens, sponsored and coordinated by Tutor Doctor, a local business (click on the flyer to enlarge).
We asked Tutor Doctor’s Tyler Collins, a West Point graduate, to give us a preview of what he has planned:
Tell us a bit about your background:
I’m a manufacturing engineer by day and electrical engineer by night with a military and mechanical engineering background. I’m a West Point graduate and long-time fan of self-study, “making,” and leveraging the power of the internet.
Can you give us a peek at what you’re planning for the series?
The series will be three stand-alone STEM presentations. Each one will include:
- one team STEM activity and associated discussion;
- a high-level ‘flyover’ of two or three STEM topics that will be different each week;
- a discovery exercise where participants try to explain what is going on with a provided STEM application, followed by group discussion if time allows;
- each session will end with a closing note on STEM and a list of resources for further learning.
Do the sessions build on each other? Do teens have to attend all three?
- They do not build on each other; I believe a teen could attend all three and benefit from each one.
Why do you think STEM is important, especially for teens?
- STEM has obvious applications everywhere around us, and it has now for some time in exponential measure; but now the barriers to entry are all but eliminated — not only for STEM careers but also for STEM exploration by hobbyists, even at young ages. You don’t need a degree to become a scientist or an engineer — all you need is access to knowledge (namely, the internet or literature) and a desire to learn. Assuming everyone attending will have access to the former (whether at home, school or the library), I will attempt to spark the latter by generating interest, fostering curiosity, and empowering through example.
Ready to sign up for Tyler’s STEM series? Stop at the desk, email eplkids@cliu.org or call 610-965-9284 to save your spot!
