The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center and The South Fork Natural History Museum (SOFO) have joined forces to present a year-round STEAM program for local students.
“STEAM has always been an initiative that was missing from our curriculum. I am delighted that we did not have to start from scratch,” Bonnie Michelle Cannon, Executive Director BHCCRC, expressed. “This is a wonderful opportunity for our youth and teens. Thanks to this alliance with SOFO, our students can now immerse themselves in STEAM programming.”
Participating students will learn about science, technology, engineering, art, and math during visits to SOFO, guided nature walks, and hands-on workshops led by The Center, SOFO and Innovation Camp (iCAMP). “After school STEAM enrichment classes are a fun and creative way for children to experience project-based learning that connects nature observations to the technology tools we use to make our observations better and understand the world around us,” said Melanie Meade, SOFO Education and Outreach Coordinator, who developed the program’s curriculum with Steve Phillips, Curriculum Director at iCAMP.
The program launched in January 2021 and will run through June. The second 2021 session will take place September through December.
“We are very happy to welcome the Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center to the SOFO family and to our After School STEAM programming,” noted Frank Quevedo, SOFO’s Executive Director. “We have long admired BCCRC’s mission and dedication to giving back to our community, which aligns completely with our efforts and goals.”
The inaugural programming revolves around the Earth, while the fall session will delve into living things and their relationships to the earth and to each other.
“This is the future, and we want our youth and teens to be prepared and equipped with needed tools for what is to come,” Cannon added. “Thank you SOFO for making this happen for our children!”
For more information, visit sofo.org/.