When low-income schools can't make the trip to MOSI Tampa, the museum goes to them.
In an effort to bring enriching experiences to students at low-income schools, MOSI Tampa has created a program that will offer hands-on activities related to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM).
MOSI will schools throughout the region, starting with 15 elementary schools in Polk County this year.
The idea behind the outreach program is to introduce students to technology in a fun way, but also help them realize their potential. The program will enable children to explore STEAM related disciplines through activities like creating their own robotic creations.
“At MOSI, we’ve found that one of the best ways to get kids to look toward career paths in important fields like science and engineering is to get them doing real science and engineering themselves,” says Grayson Kamm of MOSI. “Once they're exposed to these fields in new ways such as building and programming their own robots, they get far more interested and engaged. Some students start to picture doing this kind of cutting-edge work as part of their own future careers.”
Kamm says this program was made possible through the
George W. Jenkins Fund within the
GiveWell Community Foundation. This fund specifically applies to Title I schools, which are defined as schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families.
MOSI's outreach program is titled Robot Roundup. In the program, 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-grade students will have the chance to understand the technology and engineering behind robots, as well as assemble their own.
“This is a way for MOSI to help bring a fresh spark to students, which reinforces what they’ve learned in class and makes it real for them creating an inspiration their classroom teachers can build on during the years ahead.”
Some school visits have already begun. The list below includes all of the schools that will be participating in the program.
- Edgar L. Padgett Elementary, Lakeland
- Elbert Elementary, Winter Haven
- Walter Caldwell Elementary, Auburndale
- Sleepy Hill Elementary, Lakeland
- Wahneta Elementary, Winter Haven
- Palmetto Elementary, Poinciana
- Garden Grove Elementary, Winter Haven
- Phillip O’Brien Elementary, Lakeland
- Medulla Elementary, Lakeland
- Lewis Anna Woodbury Elementary, Fort Meade
- Loughman Elementary, Davenport
- North Lakeland Elementary, Lakeland
- Pinewood Elementary, Eagle Lake
- Purcell Elementary, Mulberry
- Southwest Elementary, Lakeland
In addition to the Robot Roundup, MOSI offers other hands-on science experiences to schools throughout the state. Other outreach programs include a mobile science lab, and a portable planetarium. For information on MOSI's school outreach programs, visit the museum's
website.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.