Categories: Uncategorized

FWC starts After-School STEM Club

This blog post was written by Daniel Bergmann, a HealthCorps member here at CHC who works with Nicole Elliott, another HealthCorps Member and Program Coordinator at the Family Wellness Center (FWC) to facilitate the STEM Club.

Everyone was holding their breath, leaning in to get a closer look. Some leaned in a little too close.

“Guys! Stop shaking the table!”

There could be no room for error in this delicate operation. Fifty pennies were about to be dropped – all at once – into a paper dixie cup perched atop a bridge made only of straw, tape, and string. The roll was lowered into position. Some of the straws began to bend. Tape crinkled at the seams. But the bridge held, and the room exploded into cheers.

The physics of bridge building was just the starting point for CHC’s new after-school STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) club known as “Mini-Makers.” Run out of the Middletown Family Wellness Center, this brand-new program centers around hands-on projects for kids ages 9 and up with the ultimate goal of getting them interested in scientific fields and how it relates to the creative process.

In addition to their time spent in the Family Wellness Center, these Mini-Makers have access to CHC’s brand-new App Lab, giving them the opportunity to engage with technology in a deeply creative way. In their first session at the App Lab, the kids met “Kobe” (CHC’s telepresence robot), made music on a Theremin, and learned the basics of 3D printing. Future meetings at the App Lab are expected to cover 3D modeling for 3D printing, basic programming skills, and developing Android apps for use at home.

The next meeting of the Mini-Makers STEM Club is happening on April 14th, from 4-5pm, at the Middletown Family Wellness Center (635 Main Street). Mini-Makers meets twice a month, please visit FamilyWellnessCenter.weebly.com for details.

Hope Brigham

Share
Published by
Hope Brigham

Recent Posts

Michael J. Fox’s Foundation Makes Parkinson’s Breakthrough

Emmy award-winning actor Michael J. Fox shocked the world when he announced over 25 years…

3 days ago

Colorectal Cancer Rising for Millennials & Gen Z: How to Reverse the Trend

Originally broadcast February 15, 2024 About 1 in 5 colorectal patients are now under the…

1 week ago

Alzheimer’s Researchers Under Fire: Acclaimed Journalist Explains Why

Originally broadcast February 27, 2025. How reliable is the current research into the cause of…

2 weeks ago

Former Republican HHS Secretary Offers Bipartisan Wisdom

Dr. Louis Sullivan walked the halls of Congress and testified before committees when he was…

3 weeks ago

Egg Prices Up: Hear From Experts About Why

Originally broadcast February 13, 2025 $4.95 — that’s the record high price of a dozen…

1 month ago

Guardrails for Health AI: How, Why and When

Originally broadcast February 6, 2025 Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing health care—but how do we ensure…

1 month ago