This summer, Round Top Family Library introduced exciting new programs that brought STEM learning to life for local students. From coding and robotics to hands-on problem-solving, young participants explored the world of technology in fun and creative ways. With the help of an enthusiastic young teacher, this program became a huge success, paving the way for even more exciting learning opportunities in the fall.
Round Top Family Library kicked off an exciting lineup of new programs this summer, including “Investigative Science” for students in K-6 and “STEM/Robotics” for students in grades 2-12. These weekly sessions were completely free and open to the community. With a grant for LEGO Spikes, LEGO Essentials, and Chromebooks, students gained hands-on experience in coding, building robots, collaborating on problem-solving, and learning to push through challenges in coding.
One of the standout features of this summer’s program was the unique staffing approach. The library offered a teaching opportunity to Peter Kieke, a bright and eager rising 9th grader from the local school district. Peter brought his passion for coding, robotics, and STEM to the table, sharing his knowledge with younger students. “Watching Peter engage with his peers and share what he’s passionate about has been incredibly rewarding,” shared Stacie Brown McCullough, the library’s Executive Coordinator.
Stacie gave us a peek into how the summer programming came to life: “Library staff and volunteers gathered input from our patrons and community members. We looked at what has worked well for a library of our size. When Peter expressed his enthusiasm for STEM, our Library Manager, Keelia Ritch, invited him to create his own curriculum for the STEM Robotics program. From there, the process was the same as working with our highly knowledgeable adult teachers. The three of us met, and the program quickly took shape.”
Through social media, the monthly newsletter, and good old-fashioned word of mouth, the library spread the word about the program. The students dove into coding games with Scratch, took apart and rebuilt working computers, and even hosted a showcase to present their robots.
The program’s success was so inspiring that the library is already gearing up for Fall STEM programming! Peter will be back to help lead the way, and he’s excited to explore deeper topics like game development, design, and programming using more advanced coding languages. The staff has also sent out surveys to parents and children to find out what other STEM topics they’re interested in so they can tailor the programming.
In addition to everything else, Peter has been nominated for the Texas 4H STEM Ambassador this year! The library couldn’t be more proud of his achievements and contributions to the program.
When asked for advice for programs looking to introduce STEM, we received the following pieces of wisdom from Stacie and Peter:
Stacie – “I learned that our STEM programming serves our patrons better when it is divided into at least two age groups. It is incredibly beneficial when we all learn from each other; older and younger students benefit from communicating with one another, and the experience typically serves them well. One caveat to this, though, was that we weren’t able to move as quickly or dive as deeply into the topics as we might have liked. Moving forward, Peter will continue his revised curriculum for grades 4-12, and I am spearheading the RTFL’s new Storybook STEM for grades K-3, which includes a MakerSpace, open exploration of STEM toys, collaboration and team-building projects, and interdisciplinary learning objectives, which also begins this Fall.”
Peter – “I learnt that speaking in front of audiences is an extremely important skill. If anyone wants to get into teaching STEM, I would highly recommend that they learn how to speak in front of audiences and learn to utilize and research online resources.”
We look forward to hearing about Round Top Family Library’s fall program!
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